Alumni William “Bill” Conti and Shelby Cox Conti of Los Angeles are giving LSU the original musical scores from Bill’s prolific career as a composer and conductor.

The William and Shelby Conti Papers, to be held in LSU Libraries Special Collections, include Bill’s well-known scores from “The Right Stuff,” for which he won an Academy Award for Best Original Score, and from the "Rocky" film series, the "Karate Kid" film series, the film "For Your Eyes Only," and the television series "Dynasty." Since graduating from LSU's School of Music in 1963, Bill has excelled in a celebrated career that has spanned film and television and a record 19 times serving as musical director at the Academy Awards. He has been recognized through nominations for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, and 13 Emmy Awards. By entrusting LSU with Bill’s work, the Contis will strengthen our students’ educational experience and position LSU to preserve the lifelong work of an esteemed alumnus of the LSU School of Music.

Bill visited LSU in fall 2019 and shared the journey of his experience on campus and his career, saying, "I think all of that stuff really began here. I was in the center of the orchestra playing the bassoon. I was making halftime shows and picking up capes in Tiger Stadium. You can do music out of this school at the level of the highest music schools in this country. It’s a fact."

LSU Libraries is proud to be a steward of the life’s work of one of our own graduates and honored to have been part of Bill’s remarkable journey as a musician.

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