Franz Waxman, originally Franz Wachsmann, was a renowned composer and conductor born on December 24, 1906, in Königshütte (now Chorzów, Poland), then part of the German Empire's Prussian Province of Silesia. Of Jewish descent, Waxman suffered a severe eye injury at the age of three, which left him with impaired vision. He pursued music studies at the Dresden Music Academy, supporting himself by playing popular music. His early career included working as a pianist with the Weintraub Syncopators and as an orchestrator in the German film industry, notably on the score for "The Blue Angel" (1930).

Waxman's first dramatic film score was for "Liliom" (1934). Following a violent attack by Nazi sympathizers in Berlin, he fled Germany with his wife, first to Paris and then to Hollywood. In Hollywood, his score for "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) garnered attention, leading to his role as Head of Music at Universal Studios. However, Waxman preferred composing over directing music and soon joined MGM, where his score for Alfred Hitchcock's "Rebecca" (1940) became a hallmark of his career.

Waxman's contributions to film music were significant, with scores for "Sunset Boulevard," "A Place in the Sun," "Stalag 17," "Rear Window," and "Taras Bulba," among others. He received twelve Academy Award nominations, winning two Oscars for "Sunset Boulevard" and "A Place in the Sun," and a Golden Globe for the former. Beyond film, he composed concert works, including the oratorio "Joshua" and "The Song of Terezin," based on poetry from the Theresienstadt concentration camp.

In 1947, Waxman founded the Los Angeles Music Festival, conducting numerous premieres. He passed away on February 24, 1967, in Los Angeles, California, leaving a legacy as a pivotal figure in 20th-century film music.