Stephen Endelman is no ordinary man. He is distinguished stands tall in truth and unafraid. A Grammy nominated and Tony Award winner, London born August 18th Leo, Hetook an interest in music and the Clarinet; and has seen and lived through circumstances that some of us would never understand. As a young man he studied music at Purcell School of Young Musicians one of England’s most prestigious music schools and built his musical composition skills at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. While at Carmel College a Jewish Boarding School in Oxforshire, Endelman suffered years of abuse from Trevor Bolton who was the housemaster at the time. There were several other boys that also fell under the influence of these atrocious acts with Endelman being the 3rd of eight. The acts occurred over a period of twenty years from 1968-1988. In 2015, Endelman received a call from an investigating detective saying that several boys had filed complaints against Bolton, and would he be willing to testify. Endelman had been told that the housemaster was dead when in fact the police detective informed him that the teacher was not dead but alive and living well. After Endelman and the two other boy’s testimony Bolton was sentenced to 19 years on 25 counts. As of August 1,2019, and according to writer Simon Rocker of the Jewish Chronicle www.thejc.com. The former teacher has since had his sentence reduced to nine years, although the Crown Prosecution Service upheld his appeal against six of the counts. His appeal was rejected three years ago. He was already 78 years old when taken into custody and is now 80. Solicitor, Andrew Groves pursued compensation for the victims from Carmel insurance policies found in the school’s basement where records had been stored. The college closed in 1997.
Endelman has grown to become one of the most celebrated composers of our time. He plans to present a documentary and launch the Consent Project in an effort to help men talk about and confront the things that have hurt them and to acknowledge and face how their lives have been affected by this kind of experience. He is convinced that the rare form of brain cancer that he suffered from and stayed in a coma for three-months only seven years ago was a result of the abuse he experienced as a young man at Carmel. He says the short narrative Oscar nominated film is written and scored sensitively and with the hearts of other men in mind encouraging them to step up and speak out about what has happened to them, When asked how he felt exposing this truth about his life Endelman said that writing and being co-producer of the short with Director, Adam Matalon, was one thing but when it came to actually making the film and being on set he felt exposed. It was a nakedness that he eventually has come to embrace. The film does an unbelievable job at assimilating scenes from Carmel to show that abuse is something that all communities share the burden of. His musical scripting of RedBelt and The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain is comparable to none. A Boy, a Man and a Kite a far stretch from his humble beginnings on the film short, Household Saints which secured him his first working gig. A favorite of mine is A Bronx Tale. The original score by Butch Barbella with a revamped underscore by Endelman had a hidden element which lulls the mind and senses of an audience as they listen and watch. That element is a sensitivity not often found in the common populous of the considered strong and able-bodied man. His work requires an enduring heart. The riveting moments of emotional distress coupled with softened heights of splendored love and a progressed emotional fluidity makes for brilliance in approaching any score. The racial and moral aspect of the film is challenging enough but Endelman seems to have a gift in bringing softness and emotional sensitivity to an otherwise series of horrid experiences. Endelman was so blown away that he would see and hang out with Robert De Niro every day that he worked for free without credit just to have the opportunity.
This Englishman does things in his own way and in his own style all while collaborating with others. He enjoys the company of those who have supported him and who have a strong stay of creative talent to give.
While in hopeful mode for his nominated Oscar short A Boy, a Man and a Kite, which premiered in London on this past October 17th. Endelman is presently working on a one-hour family music drama, Opus, from writer and consulting producer for, Empire, Felicia D Henderson about an African American female music conductor, played by actor, and executive producer, Nicole Ari Parker who has to interrupt her career life and return to Baltimore to help to rebuild her home town symphony orchestra. Parker plays mother to a teenage son who is an M.C. on the rise. The show has been sold to Fox Television Network. The Bottom 9th he works once again with filmmaker Raymond De Felitta a film mate on Rob the Mob, and lol. about no matter how hard he tries he always seem to find himself in Italy amongst the Italians. Although not huge on baseball the strings and piano by Endelman take us deep inside the inner world of baseball player actor, Joe Manganielio who with real life mate, Sofia Vergara struggles to stay in front of life and keep his position on the team. That is a lot on a plate for one with enough food for two. As composer Stephen Endelman continue to gain momentum in finding reliable funding sources to take his short film and other projects to theater distributors across the country. The symbol of the Kite for him is remindful of his days as a young boy with his father and the freedom the symbol of the kite offered then and now.
I imagine that one could suppose that with certain influences of the astrological sun sign Leo one of them is being King for goodness sake. Leo is the sign of royalty and for those fortunate enough to be born with the sun shining brightly on their faces have the strength and necessary will power to always continue to do so no matter how dark the clouds might have been before them. For more information on British composer Stephen Endelman check out
www.boykiteman.com.