Stephen Barber is an American composer, arranger and musician, known for working with David Byrne, Keith Richards, John Legend, Natalie Merchant, T Bone Burnett, Rosanne Cash, The London Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Cross, Bonnie Raitt, Indigo Girls, Michael Stipe and Shawn Colvin.
Barber was born April 6, 1952 in Abilene, TX to Carolyn Grisham Barber, a pianist and music teacher, and Harwell Barber, a businessman and philanthropist. His cousin is the author John Grisham and his godfather is flamenco guitarist, Jim Jennings. Barber started playing the piano at the age of three years, began playing guitar at eleven and started writing music at the age of twelve. At fifteen, Barber went to Sewanee Military Academy in TN where he was the only student studying music theory. He attended summer school in 1971 at the University of Texas to study music composition and then attended Southwest Texas State University where he studied music composition under composer Russell Riepe.
In 1974, Barber began a friendship with Gideon Waldrop, the Dean of Juilliard, however passed up an invitation to attend Juilliard at that time. He was in a band with Eric Johnson called The Electromagnets from 1974–1976 and in 1977, Barber moved to New York City, reconvened with Dean Waldrop, began monitoring classes at Juilliard and was accepted to study music composition and orchestration privately with John Corigliano. He was the keyboardist and arranger for Christopher Cross from 1983–1988 and during that time composed thirteen original scores for Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre, under the direction of Van Dyke Parks. He was nominated for an ACE award for the episode, "3 Little Pigs". In the early 1990s, Barber composed for the BBC's National Geographic Explorer with David Attenborough and Mike Salisbury under the direction of producer Michael deGruy. In 1996, he began a mentorship with Joe Zawinul, and in the late 1990s he toured again with Eric Johnson. In 2001, Barber became a founder and artistic director of the Barbwire Music Project, an Austin, TX based non-profit commissioning, presenting and educational organization for contemporary American music. In 2004, he was inducted into the Austin Music Awards Hall of Fame. In 2011, he released his album, Astral Vinyl, on Navona Records. Barber currently resides in Austin, TX.
In total, Barber has worked on more than 170 album projects and multiple television and movie scores.
2014 Natalie Merchant – Natalie Merchant – String Arrangements, Woodwind Arrangement
2014 United States – Ian McLagan – String Arrangements
2013 Fourth Corner – Trixie Whitley – String Arrangements
2012 Ludwig Senfl: All Ding ein Weil – La Caccia – Instrument Design
2011 Stephen Barber: Astral Vinyl – Composer, Piano
2011 Bon Voyage: Music by Giovanni – Paolo Foscarini – The Foscarini Experience – Guitar Maker
2011 Red Hot + Rio 2 – Composer, producer, String Arrangements
2011 Rockpango – Los Lonely Boys – Composer, String Arrangements, String Writing
2010 Comfort in the Static – Kenny White – String Arrangements
2010 July Flame – Laura Veirs – String Arrangements
2010 Leave Your Sleep – Natalie Merchant – Arranger, Orchestration, String Arrangements
2010 The Best of Shawn Colvin – Shawn Colvin – Arranger
2010 When Everything Breaks Open – Matt Morris – String Arrangements, String Conductor
2009 Au Pres de Vous: French Chansons of the 16th Century – Mignarda – Instrument Design
2008 Live with the Tosca Strings – Terry Bozzio – Piano, Primary Artist
2008 Never Say Never – Ian McLagan – Arranger, String Arrangements
2007 I Am – Chrisette Michele – String Arrangements
2007 Join the Parade – Marc Cohn – String Arrangements
2007 Papito – Miguel Bosé – Guest Artist
2007 Remembered – Ted Greene – Keyboards
2007 The Sky Observer's Guide – Amy Cook – String Arrangements, Strings
2006 In the Footsteps of Herman Hollanders – Instrument Design
2006 Once Again – John Legend – String Arrangements
2006 Travesías – Susana Baca – Orchestration
2006 Un' altra Canzone – Instrument Design
2005 Cannonball – Mark David Manders – Organ (Hammond)
2005 From the Five – Stephen Bruton – Composer, Hammond B3, Main Personnel, Organ (Hammond), Pump Organ, Wurlitzer
2005 Live from Austin TX – Eric Johnson – Composer
2005 Live from Austin TX [DVD] – Eric Johnson – Composer
2005 Patch of Blue – Dee Carstensen – Arranger, producer
2005 The Rainbow Bear – Stephen Barber – Primary Artist
2004 13 Ways to Live – Composer, Guitar (Electric), Piano
2004 Boompa, Vol. 1 – Composer
2004 Get Lifted – John Legend – String Arrangements
2004 Grown Backwards – David Byrne – Arranger, Horn Arrangements, Prepared Piano
2004 Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo – Composer
2004 Salt – Arto Lindsay – Keyboards, String Arrangements, Violin Arrangement
2003 The Order – David Torn – Score Orchestration
2002 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood – Conductor, leader, String Arrangements
2002 Invoke – Arto Lindsay – Clarinet, Guitar, Horn Arrangements, Keyboards, Organ, Violin Arrangement
2002 Long Way Around: An Anthology 1991–2001 – Chris Whitley – Keyboards, Piano
2002 Spirit World – Stephen Bruton – Composer, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer
2001 A Man Under the Influence – Alejandro Escovedo – Composer
2001 L' Instant d'Apres – David Linx – Arranger
2001 Motherland – Natalie Merchant – Arranger, Conductor
2001 Rocket House – Chris Whitley – Arranger, Jaw Harp, Keyboards, Percussion, Piano, Programming, Synthesizer Bass
2001 Wait for Me – Jubilant Sykes – Arranger, Orchestra
2001 Whole New You – Shawn Colvin – String Arrangements
2000 Passenger – Tara MacLean – String Arrangements
2000 Q – Mr. Children – String Arrangements
1999 An American Diary, Vol. 2: The Dreamings – Mike Mainieri – Arranger, producer
1999 Iean-Pavle Paladin: Tablatvre De Lvth – Lute
1999 Nothing But the Truth – Stephen Bruton – Composer, Keyboards, Piano, producer
1999 This Is Life – Curiously Strong – Organ (Hammond), Piano, String Arrangements
1998 Little Ship – Loudon Wainwright III – String Arrangements
1997 G3: Live in Concert – Joe Satriani – Keyboards
1997 Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas – Arranger, Composer, Keyboards, Synthesizer
1996 Anxiety of Influence – Meridian Arts Ensemble – Composer
1996 Baby Sleep – Lute
1996 Venus Isle – Eric Johnson – Composer
1996 With These Hands – Alejandro Escovedo – Arranger, composer, Farfisa Organ, Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Piano, Piano (Electric), Prepared Piano, String Arrangements, Synthesizer, Wurlitzer
1996 Zawinul: Stories of the Danube – Joe Zawinul – Assistant
1995 Every Second Counts – Jim Lauderdale – Keyboards
1995 Right on Time – Stephen Bruton – String Arrangements
1993 Monteverdi: Madrigali Concertati – Tragicomedia – Guitar Maker
1992 The Hunter – Jennifer Warnes – Arranger, Synclavier
1990 Ah Via Musicom – Eric Johnson – Keyboards, Synthesizer
1990 Beth Nielsen Chapman – Beth Nielsen Chapman – Arranger, Associate Producer
1990 Crimes of the Heart – Ute Lemper – Associate Producer
1989 N.Y.C. – Steps Ahead – Orchestration
1987 Famous Blue Raincoat: The Songs of Leonard Cohen – Jennifer Warnes – String Arrangements
1986 Tones – Eric Johnson – Arranger, composer, Fairlight, Fairlight CMI, Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer
1975 Electromagnets – Electromagnets – Clarinet, composer, Keyboards, Piano, Piano (Electric), Synthesizer, Vocals, composer
Film and television
2015 The Teller and the Truth – Composer
2014 Road to Austin (Documentary) – Composer
2013 Looking For Mr Stieglitz (Short) – Composer
2007 Midway Through the Journey – short film by Dan Polsby – Composer
2006 Last Best Hope (Documentary) – Composer
2005 Rendezvous to Freedom – (PBS) – Composer
2005 The Last Days of the San Jose – Composer
2004 World Without Waves – Composer: additional music/Musician
2002 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood – Composer
1993 Son in Law – Writer: "Bled Me Dry"
1992 Galaxies Are Colliding – Music producer
1991 The Human Shield – Composer
1988 Nature – "Hawaii: Islands of the Fire Goddess" – Composer
1987 No Retreat, No Surrender 2 – Composer: additional music/orchestrator
1986 Popples – Composer
1986 Tall Tales & Legends – "Pecos Bill", "Davy Crockett", "Casey at the Bat" Episodes – Composer
1984–1985 Faerie Tale Theatre – 13 episodes including "The Emperor's New Clothes" (1985), "The Three Little Pigs" (1985), "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (1984) – Composer
