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 Arrangement2014 United States – Ian McLagan – String Arrangements2013 Fourth Corner – Trixie Whitley – String Arrangements2012 Ludwig Senfl: All Ding ein Weil – La Caccia – Instrument Design2011 Stephen Barber: Astral Vinyl – Composer, Piano2011 Bon Voyage: Music by Giovanni – Paolo Foscarini – The Foscarini Experience – Guitar Maker2011 Red Hot + Rio 2 – Composer, producer, String Arrangements2011 Rockpango – Los Lonely Boys – Composer, String Arrangements, String Writing2010 Comfort in the Static – Kenny White – String Arrangements2010 July Flame – Laura Veirs – String Arrangements2010 Leave Your Sleep – Natalie Merchant – Arranger, Orchestration, String Arrangements2010 The Best of Shawn Colvin – Shawn Colvin – Arranger2010 When Everything Breaks Open – Matt Morris – String Arrangements, String Conductor2009 Au Pres de Vous: French Chansons of the 16th Century – Mignarda – Instrument Design2008 Live with the Tosca Strings – Terry Bozzio – Piano, Primary Artist2008 Never Say Never – Ian McLagan – Arranger, String Arrangements2007 I Am – Chrisette Michele – String Arrangements2007 Join the Parade – Marc Cohn – String Arrangements2007 Papito – Miguel Bosé – Guest Artist2007 Remembered – Ted Greene – Keyboards2007 The Sky Observer's Guide – Amy Cook – String Arrangements, Strings2006 In the Footsteps of Herman Hollanders – Instrument Design2006 Once Again – John Legend – String Arrangements2006 Travesías – Susana Baca – Orchestration2006 Un' altra Canzone – Instrument Design2005 Cannonball – Mark David Manders – Organ (Hammond)2005 From the Five – Stephen Bruton – Composer, Hammond B3, Main Personnel, Organ (Hammond), Pump Organ, Wurlitzer2005 Live from Austin TX – Eric Johnson – Composer2005 Live from Austin TX [DVD] – Eric Johnson – Composer2005 Patch of Blue – Dee Carstensen – Arranger, producer2005 The Rainbow Bear – Stephen Barber – Primary Artist2004 13 Ways to Live – Composer, Guitar (Electric), Piano2004 Boompa, Vol. 1 – Composer2004 Get Lifted – John Legend – String Arrangements2004 Grown Backwards – David Byrne – Arranger, Horn Arrangements, Prepared Piano2004 Por Vida: A Tribute to the Songs of Alejandro Escovedo – Composer2004 Salt – Arto Lindsay – Keyboards, String Arrangements, Violin Arrangement2003 The Order – David Torn – Score Orchestration2002 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood – Conductor, leader, String Arrangements2002 Invoke – Arto Lindsay – Clarinet, Guitar, Horn Arrangements, Keyboards, Organ, Violin Arrangement2002 Long Way Around: An Anthology 1991–2001 – Chris Whitley – Keyboards, Piano2002 Spirit World – Stephen Bruton – Composer, Organ, Piano, Synthesizer2001 A Man Under the Influence – Alejandro Escovedo – Composer2001 L' Instant d'Apres – David Linx – Arranger2001 Motherland – Natalie Merchant – Arranger, Conductor2001 Rocket House – Chris Whitley – Arranger, Jaw Harp, Keyboards, Percussion, Piano, Programming, Synthesizer Bass2001 Wait for Me – Jubilant Sykes – Arranger, Orchestra2001 Whole New You – Shawn Colvin – String Arrangements2000 Passenger – Tara MacLean – String Arrangements2000 Q – Mr. Children – String Arrangements1999 An American Diary, Vol. 2: The Dreamings – Mike Mainieri – Arranger, producer1999 Iean-Pavle Paladin: Tablatvre De Lvth – Lute1999 Nothing But the Truth – Stephen Bruton – Composer, Keyboards, Piano, producer1999 This Is Life – Curiously Strong – Organ (Hammond), Piano, String Arrangements1998 Little Ship – Loudon Wainwright III – String Arrangements1997 G3: Live in Concert – Joe Satriani – Keyboards1997 Merry Axemas: A Guitar Christmas – Arranger, Composer, Keyboards, Synthesizer1996 Anxiety of Influence – Meridian Arts Ensemble – Composer1996 Baby Sleep – Lute1996 Venus Isle – Eric Johnson – Composer1996 With These Hands – Alejandro Escovedo – Arranger, composer, Farfisa Organ, Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Piano, Piano (Electric), Prepared Piano, String Arrangements, Synthesizer, Wurlitzer1996 Zawinul: Stories of the Danube – Joe Zawinul – Assistant1995 Every Second Counts – Jim Lauderdale – Keyboards1995 Right on Time – Stephen Bruton – String Arrangements1993 Monteverdi: Madrigali Concertati – Tragicomedia – Guitar Maker1992 The Hunter – Jennifer Warnes – Arranger, Synclavier1990 Ah Via Musicom – Eric Johnson – Keyboards, Synthesizer1990 Beth Nielsen Chapman – Beth Nielsen Chapman – Arranger, Associate Producer1990 Crimes of the Heart – Ute Lemper – Associate Producer1989 N.Y.C. – Steps Ahead – Orchestration1987 Famous Blue Raincoat: The Songs of Leonard Cohen – Jennifer Warnes – String Arrangements1986 Tones – Eric Johnson – Arranger, composer, Fairlight, Fairlight CMI, Keyboards, Piano, Synthesizer1975 Electromagnets – Electromagnets – Clarinet, composer, Keyboards, Piano, Piano (Electric), Synthesizer, Vocals, composerFilm and television
2015 The Teller and the Truth – Composer2014 Road to Austin (Documentary) – Composer2013 Looking For Mr Stieglitz (Short) – Composer2007 Midway Through the Journey – short film by Dan Polsby – Composer2006 Last Best Hope (Documentary) – Composer2005 Rendezvous to Freedom – (PBS) – Composer2005 The Last Days of the San Jose – Composer2004 World Without Waves – Composer: additional music/Musician2002 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood – Composer1993 Son in Law – Writer: "Bled Me Dry"1992 Galaxies Are Colliding – Music producer1991 The Human Shield – Composer1988 Nature – "Hawaii: Islands of the Fire Goddess" – Composer1987 No Retreat, No Surrender 2 – Composer: additional music/orchestrator1986 Popples – Composer1986 Tall Tales & Legends – "Pecos Bill", "Davy Crockett", "Casey at the Bat" Episodes – Composer1984–1985 Faerie Tale Theatre – 13 episodes including "The Emperor's New Clothes" (1985), "The Three Little Pigs" (1985), "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (1984) – Composer
