Harry Manfredini

Harry Manfredini
Manfredini in 2025
Manfredini in 2025
Background information
Born (1943-08-25) August 25, 1943 (age 83)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Instruments
Years active1976–present

Harry Joseph Manfredini (born August 25, 1943) 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. As a child, Manfredini took accordion lessons and studied clarinet and saxophone before performing in a local rock band as a teenager.

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

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).

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), Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) with composer Fred Mollin, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), and Jason X (2001).

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).

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

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

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.

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.

Selected credits

Film

Year Title Notes Ref.
1976 Through the Looking Glass
1977 Three Dangerous Ladies
1978 Here Come the Tigers
1978 Manny's Orphans
1979 Night Flowers
1979 Danny
1980 Friday the 13th
1980 The Children
1981 Friday the 13th Part 2
1982 Swamp Thing
1982 Friday the 13th Part III
1983 Spring Break
1984 Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
1985 The Hills Have Eyes Part II
1985 Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
1985 House
1986 Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
1986 Slaughter High
1986 A Pocket for Corduroy Television film
1987 House II: The Second Story
1988 Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood Co-composed with Fred Mollin
1988 Cameron's Closet
1989 DeepStar Six
1989 The Horror Show
1989 Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan "Friday the 13th Jason Vocal Effects";
Main score composed by
Fred Mollin
1990 Angel of Death Television film
1992 House IV
1992 Aces: Iron Eagle III
1993 My Boyfriend's Back
1993 Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
1993 Amore!
1997 Wishmaster
1999 The Omega Code
1999 Follow Your Heart
2001 Jason X
2002 Terminal Invasion Television film
2002 Wolves of Wall Street
2003 Freddy vs. Jason "Friday the 13th Jason Vocal Effects" (from tracks in the film "Jason's Surprise Attack" and "Jason's First Dream" by Machine Head);
Main score composed by Graeme Revell
2007 The Anna Nicole Smith Story
2008 House of Usher
2009 Friday the 13th "Jason Vocal EFX"; Main score composed by Steve Jablonsky
2009 Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith Television film
2012 Snow White: A Deadly Summer Direct-to-video film
2013 A Talking Cat!?!
2013 Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th Documentary film
2016 Lake Eerie
2018 A Chance in the World
2019 Hanukkah
2022 Doubting Tom
2022 Headless Horseman
2023 Midnight Bloodshed
2023 Scream VI "Friday the 13th Part VIII Vocal Effects";
Main score composed by
Brian Tyler and Sven Faulconer
2024 Mean Girls "Friday the 13th Theme";
Main score composed by Jeff Richmond
2024 Monster Mash
2024 Solitude
2025 Morgan: Killer Doll

Television

Year Title Notes Ref.
1984 Corduroy Television short
2026 Crystal Lake Main Title theme and End Credits theme (season 1, episode 8 only);
Main score composed by Giosuè Greco

Video games

Year Title Notes Ref.
2017 Friday the 13th: The Game

Screen appearances

Year Title Notes Ref.
2009 His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th Documentary film
2013 Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th

References

  1. 1 2 3 Iken, Maggie (April 13, 2018). "A Conversation with Composer Harry Manfredini About 'Friday the 13th'". Fright Day. Archived from the original on March 27, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Repertoire search – Harry Manfredini". Broadcast Music, Inc. Retrieved February 25, 2026. (Note: Access may require manual search)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Manfredini, Harry 1943–". Encyclopedia.com. Cengage. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026.
  4. ↑ Guo, Sherry (August 25, 2023). "Friday 8/25/23". Film Score Monthly. ISSN 1077-4289. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026.
  5. ↑ Reeves, Rachel (September 13, 2024). "Killer Score: How Harry Manfredini Helped Redefine the Slasher Sound [Friday the 13th Week]". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on October 4, 2025.
  6. ↑ Probert, John Llewellyn (October 21, 2012). "Harry Manfredini – Part II". This Is Horror. Archived from the original on November 13, 2025.
  7. ↑ Galil, Leor (October 24, 2018). "The Reader's guaranteed unboring homegrown Halloween mix". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Harry Manfredini". Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Archived from the original on December 5, 2025.
  9. 1 2 Parker, Jason (June 13, 2017). "Meet Friday The 13th Composer Harry Manfredini This Halloween". Friday the 13th: The Franchise. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020.
  10. 1 2 Konopka, Matt (February 12, 2026). "'Friday the 13th' Composer Harry Manfredini to Score 'Crystal Lake' Prequel Series". Dread Central. Archived from the original on February 12, 2026.
  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 from the original on August 25, 2025.
  19. ↑ "'Friday the 13th' continues". The Mesquite News. August 15, 1986. p. 8B – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ↑ Grove 2005, p. 153.
  21. ↑ Harper, Jim (2004). Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies. United Kingdom: Critical Vision. p. 98. ISBN 978-1-900-48639-2.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Harry Manfredini Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on June 30, 2025.
  23. ↑ Wilmington, Michael (August 17, 1993). "Will This Really Be the 'Final Friday' For the Murderous Jason?". Los Angeles Times. p. B9 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ "Crystal Lake Memories score release". 2013-10-05. Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2026-08-15.
  25. ↑ "Doubting Tom". TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Headless Horseman". TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Midnight Bloodshed". TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026.
  28. ↑ Q.V. Hough (May 7, 2023). "Soundtracks of Cinema: 'Scream VI '". Vague Visages. Retrieved November 2, 2026.
  29. ↑ Gomez, Dessi. "Here Are All the Songs in the 'Mean Girls' Movie". TheWrap. Archived from the original on January 17, 2026. Retrieved October 17, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Monster Mash". TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Solitude". TV Guide. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026.
  32. ↑ Hamman, Cody (October 9, 2025). "Crystal Lake Nightmares convention interview with Harry Manfredini, creator of the iconic Friday the 13th score". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2025.

Sources