Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (born June 2, 1944) is an American composer. He is one of only two people to have been awarded an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony, a Golden Globe and a Pulitzer Prize (the other is Richard Rodgers).
Hamlisch was born in New York City to Viennese Jewish parents, Lilly Schachter and Max Hamlisch. His father was an accordionist and bandleader. Hamlisch was a child prodigy and by age five he began mimicking music he heard on the radio on the piano. A few months before he turned seven, in 1951, he was accepted into what is now the Juilliard School Pre-College Division. However anxiety issues kept him from pursuing a career as a concert pianist, leading instead to composition, specifically for film and theatre. His first job was as a rehearsal pianist for Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand. Shortly after that he was hired by producer Sam Spiegel to play piano at Spiegel's parties. This connection led to his first film score, The Swimmer.
Hamlisch later attended night classes at Queens College. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967. In 2007, he received the Q Award, presented to Queens College alumni who have served as.