Harry Manfredini
Birth dateAugust 25, 1943 (age 83)
Birth placeChicago, Illinois, U.S.
Years active1976–present
InstrumentsSaxophone[1] · synthesizer[1] · accordion · percussion[1]

Harry Joseph Manfredini[2] (born August 25, 1943)[3][4] is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and jazz soloist. He has scored more than one hundred films, including most of the Friday the 13th series. He has had years of classical training, as well as twenty years in the popular music scene.

Early life and education

Manfredini was born and raised in Chicago, the son of Italian American parents.[5] As a child, Manfredini took accordion lessons and studied clarinet and saxophone before performing in a local rock band as a teenager.[6]

He received a Bachelor of Music degree from DePaul University,[7] a Master of Arts degree from Western Illinois University, and a doctorate from Columbia University.[8]

Career

Manfredini composed the scores for several films in the late 1970s, including Through the Looking Glass (1976), Here Come the Tigers (1978), and Manny's Orphans (also 1978).[3]

Manfredini is known for composing the scores for Friday the 13th (1980) and most of its sequels: Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), Friday the 13th Part III (1982), Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), and Jason X (2001).[3]

Manfredini also scored numerous other horror films, including The Children (1980), Swamp Thing (1982), House (1986), House II: The Second Story (1987), The Horror Show (1989), and House IV (1992).[3]

In addition to film scores, Manfredini composed the music for the children's television adaptations Corduroy (1984) and A Pocket for Corduroy (1986).[3]

In 2017, Manfredini provided the score to Friday the 13th: The Game, a video game based on the Friday the 13th franchise.[9]

In February 2026, it was announced that Manfredini was involved in the scoring of the forthcoming Crystal Lake television series, a prequel to the original Friday the 13th (1980) produced by A24.[10]

Influences

In conversation with Russian journalist and composer Tony Vilgotsky, Manfredini said that his musical tastes and style were influenced by such composers as Giacomo Puccini, Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel and others.[11]

Selected credits

Film

YearTitleNotesRef.
1976Through the Looking Glass[3]
1977Three Dangerous Ladies
1978Here Come the Tigers[12]
1978Manny's Orphans[3]
1979Night Flowers
1979Danny
1980Friday the 13th[13]
1980The Children
1981Friday the 13th Part 2[14]
1982Swamp Thing
1982Friday the 13th Part III[15]
1983Spring Break
1984Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter[16]
1985The Hills Have Eyes Part II
1985Friday the 13th: A New Beginning[17]
1985House[18]
1986Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives[19]
1986Slaughter High
1986A Pocket for CorduroyTelevision film[3]
1987House II: The Second Story
1988Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood[20]
1988Cameron's Closet
1989DeepStar Six
1989The Horror Show
1990Angel of DeathTelevision film[21]
1992House IV
1992Aces: Iron Eagle III
1993My Boyfriend's Back
1993Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday[22]
1993Amore![21]
1997Wishmaster[21]
1999The Omega Code[21]
1999Follow Your Heart[21]
2001Jason X
2002Terminal InvasionTelevision film[21]
2002Wolves of Wall Street[21]
2003Freddy vs JasonUncredited; "Friday The 13th Jason Vocal Effects"
2007The Anna Nicole Smith Story
2008House of Usher
2009Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith
2012Snow White: A Deadly Summer
2013A Talking Cat!?![21]
2016Lake Eerie[21]
2018A Chance in the World[21]
2019Hanukkah[21]
2022Doubting Tom[23]
2022Headless Horseman[24]
2023Midnight Bloodshed[25]
2024Monster Mash[26]
2024Solitude[27]
2025Morgan: Killer Doll[28]

Television

YearTitleNotesRef.
1984CorduroyTelevision short[3]
2026Crystal Lake[10]

Video games

YearTitleNotesRef.
2017Friday the 13th: The Game[9]

Screen appearances

YearTitleNotesRef.
2009His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13thDocumentary film[21]
2013Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th

References

  1. ^ Iken, Maggie (April 13, 2018). "A Conversation with Composer Harry Manfredini About ‘Friday the 13th’". Fright Day. Archived March 27, 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ^ "Repertoire search – Harry Manfredini". Broadcast Music, Inc.. Retrieved February 25, 2026. (Note: Access may require manual search)
  3. ^ "Manfredini, Harry 1943–". Encyclopedia.com. Cengage. Archived February 25, 2026 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ^ Guo, Sherry (August 25, 2023). "Friday 8/25/23". Film Score Monthly. ISSN 1077-4289. Archived February 25, 2026 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ Reeves, Rachel (September 13, 2024). "Killer Score: How Harry Manfredini Helped Redefine the Slasher Sound [Friday the 13th Week]". Bloody Disgusting. Archived October 4, 2025 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ^ Probert, John Llewellyn (October 21, 2012). "Harry Manfredini – Part II". This Is Horror. Archived November 13, 2025 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ^ Galil, Leor (October 24, 2018). "The Reader’s guaranteed unboring homegrown Halloween mix". Chicago Reader. Archived June 16, 2025 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ^ "Harry Manfredini". Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Archived December 5, 2025 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ^ Parker, Jason (June 13, 2017). "Meet Friday The 13th Composer Harry Manfredini This Halloween". Friday the 13th: The Franchise. Archived November 28, 2020 at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ^ Konopka, Matt (February 12, 2026). "‘Friday the 13th’ Composer Harry Manfredini to Score ‘Crystal Lake’ Prequel Series". Dread Central. Archived February 12, 2026 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ^ Vilgotsky, Tony (November 2012). "Maestro of the 13th note". Mir Fantastiki. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017.
  12. ^ Craig 2019, p. 191.
  13. ^ Grove 2005, pp. 39, 64.
  14. ^ Grove 2005, p. 84.
  15. ^ Grove 2005, p. 93.
  16. ^ Grove 2005, p. 114.
  17. ^ Grove 2005, pp. 134, 145.
  18. ^ Variety staff (December 31, 1985). "House". Variety. Archived August 25, 2025 at the Wayback Machine.
  19. ^ "'Friday the 13th' continues". The Mesquite News. August 15, 1986. p. 8B. – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Grove 2005, p. 153.
  21. ^ "Harry Manfredini Credits". TV Guide. Archived June 30, 2025 at the Wayback Machine.
  22. ^ Wilmington, Michael (August 17, 1993). "Will This Really Be the 'Final Friday' For the Murderous Jason?". Los Angeles Times. p. B9. – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Doubting Tom". TV Guide. Archived February 25, 2026 at the Wayback Machine.
  24. ^ "Headless Horseman". TV Guide. Archived February 25, 2026 at the Wayback Machine.
  25. ^ "Midnight Bloodshed". TV Guide. Archived February 25, 2026 at the Wayback Machine.
  26. ^ "Monster Mash". TV Guide. Archived February 25, 2026 at the Wayback Machine.
  27. ^ "Solitude". TV Guide. Archived February 25, 2026 at the Wayback Machine.
  28. ^ Hamman, Cody (October 9, 2025). "Crystal Lake Nightmares convention interview with Harry Manfredini, creator of the iconic Friday the 13th score". JoBlo.com. Archived November 12, 2025 at the Wayback Machine.

Sources

  • Craig, Rob (2019). American International Pictures: A Comprehensive Filmography. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1-476-66631-0.
  • Grove, David (2005). Making Friday the 13th: The Legend of Camp Blood. Godalming, England: FAB Press. ISBN 978-1-903-25431-8.