Leo Arnaud

• Born Noel Arnaud, 24 July 1904, Lyon France
• Died 26 April 1991, Los Angeles, California

Arnaud studied classical music and composition in France and worked with Maurice Ravel and Vincent d'Indy before emigrating to the U.S. in the late 1930s. He settled in Hollywood and became a part of the studio production line, orchestrating numerous forgettable films such as "Blondie Goes Latin," "Excuse My Dust," "Ice Follies of 1939," "Two Weeks--With Love," and others. Outside the studio, he was active in the classical music scene in Los Angeles, working as conductor of the Hollywood String Orchestra. In 1955, he arranged and conducted one of the earliest percussion show-off albums, "Spectra-Sonic Sounds!!!" (also released under at least two other titles) for Liberty. Arnaud's most lasting contribution, though, is an excerpt from Arnaud's arrangement of a number called "Bugler's Dream" on Felix Slatkin's Capitol album, "Charge!". ABC Sports later extracted it as the theme for their coverage of the Olympic Games.