David Metzger (born December 12, 1960) is an American composer, conductor, arranger, and orchestrator who has worked on many Disney Animation films, including Wish, Frozen, Frozen 2, Moana, Planes, Wreck-It Ralph, Tarzan, Brother Bear, and Mufasa: The Lion King. In addition to his work for Disney, he has done orchestrations for over 50 major films, composed the musical scores for Tarzan 2, Brother Bear 2, and Tarzan & Jane, and has numerous video game, theme park, television, and commercial credits, as well as co-arranging and orchestrating "When You Wish Upon a Star" for the 2006 Walt Disney Pictures logo with Mark Mancina, and co-composing the 2013 DisneyToon Studios logo with Mancina. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his producing work on Frozen 2.
Metzger received a Tony and a Drama Desk nomination in 1998 for his orchestration of Broadway musical The Lion King. He won a DVDX award for best original score in a DVD premiere movie for Tarzan 2 in 2006.
He has orchestrated the Broadway musical Frozen and is also orchestrating the musical August Rush.
Career Metzger was the arranger for jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson in the late 1980s. From 1992 to 1997, he was the arranger for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Metzger was a longtime collaborator with film composer Mark Mancina. Beginning in 2008 he has also worked with other notable Hollywood and Broadway composers including Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Julia Michaels, Benjamin Rice, Alan Menken, John Powell, Alan Silvestri, Christophe Beck, and others.
Personal life Metzger grew up in Corvallis, Oregon. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from California State University, Long Beach. He also did graduate work at UCLA. He began composing for choir and jazz band in junior high school. In his young adult years, he wrote many jazz band charts that are still played today.
Metzger currently lives in Oregon with his wife. He has two grown sons.
Discography Film orchestrations 1990s Year Title Studio(s) Composer Notes 1994 The Lion King Walt Disney Pictures Hans Zimmer 1997 Speed 2: Cruise Control 20th Century Fox Mark Mancina 1998 Armageddon Touchstone Trevor Rabin Return to Paradise Universal Pictures Mark Mancina 1999 Tarzan Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios Mark Mancina
2000s Year Title Studio(s) Composer(s) Notes 2000 Bait Warner Bros. Mark Mancina 2001 Training Day Warner Bros. Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music Domestic Disturbance Paramount Pictures Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music 2003 Atlantis: Milo's Return Walt Disney Home EntertainmentDisneytoon Studios Don L. Harper Bad Boys II Columbia Pictures Trevor Rabin Brother Bear Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios Mark Mancina Vocal Arranger The Haunted Mansion Walt Disney Pictures Mark Mancina Composer of Additional MusicSound Consultant 2004 The Lion King 1½ Walt Disney Home EntertainmentDisneytoon Studios Don L. Harper 2005 Asylum Paramount Classics Mark Mancina Additional Music Arranger 2006 Glory Road Walt Disney Pictures Trevor Rabin Additional Orchestrations Scary Movie 4 Dimension Films James L. Venable Flyboys MGM Trevor Rabin 2007 August Rush Warner Bros. Mark Mancina Shooter Paramount Pictures Mark Mancina Synthesizer Programmer Live Free or Die Hard 20th Century Fox Marco Beltrami Arranger of "America the Beautiful" The Simpsons Movie 20th Century Fox Hans Zimmer 2008 Camille Ruddy Morgan Productions Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music Horton Hears a Who! 20th Century Fox John Powell Kung Fu Panda DreamWorks Animation John PowellHans Zimmer Hancock Columbia Pictures John Powell Bolt Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios John Powell 2009 Imagine That Paramount PicturesNickelodeon Movies Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian 20th Century Fox Alan Silvestri Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 20th Century Fox John Powell G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Paramount Pictures Alan Silvestri Hurricane Season The Weinstein CompanyDimension Films Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music
2010s Year Title Studio(s) Composer(s) Notes 2010 Diary of a Wimpy Kid 20th Century Fox Theodore Shapiro Knight and Day 20th Century Fox John Powell How to Train Your Dragon DreamWorks Animation John Powell 2011 Mars Needs Moms Walt Disney Pictures John Powell Winnie The Pooh Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios Henry Jackman Rio 20th Century Fox John Powell Kung Fu Panda 2 DreamWorks Animation Hans ZimmerJohn Powell X-Men: First Class 20th Century Fox Henry Jackman Captain America: The First Avenger Paramount Pictures Alan Silvestri Happy Feet Two Warner Bros. John Powell 2012 The Raven Intrepid Pictures Lucas VidalThe Pirates: Band of Misfits Sony Pictures Animation Theodore Shapiro Emperor Krasnoff Foster Productions Alex Heffes The Lorax Universal Pictures John Powell Ice Age: Continental Drift 20th Century Fox John Powell Wreck-It Ralph Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios Henry Jackman The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Lionsgate Carter Burwell The Avengers Marvel Studios Alan Silvestri 2013 The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone Freestyle Releasing Marc FantiniSteffan Fantini Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Clarius EntertainmentPrana Studios Toby Chu Escape Plan Emmett/Furla Films Alex Heffes Planes Walt Disney PicturesDisneytoon Studios Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music Frozen Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios Christophe BeckRobert LopezKristen Anderson-Lopez Additional Work as Song Arranger 2014 Planes: Fire and Rescue Walt Disney PicturesDisneytoon Studios Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music Muppets Most Wanted Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios Christophe Beck Rio 2 20th Century Fox John Powell How to Train Your Dragon 2 DreamWorks Animation John Powell 2015 Strange Magic Touchstone PicturesLucasfilm Marius de Vries Choir Contractor Frozen Fever Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios Christophe Beck Additional Work as Song Arranger and Conductor Ant-Man Marvel Studios Christophe Beck 2016 Ice Age: Collision Course 20th Century Fox John Debney Moana Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios Mark MancinaLin-Manuel MirandaOpetaia Foa'i Additional work as Song, Score, and Vocal Arranger, Additional Music Composer 2017 Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie DreamWorks Animation Theodore Shapiro Olaf's Frozen Adventure Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios Christophe Beck Additional work as Music Song Producer and Song and Score Arranger The Star Sony Pictures Animation John Paesano 2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios Henry Jackman Song Arranger and Orchestrator of "A Place Called Slaughter Race" 2019 The Lion King Walt Disney PicturesFairview Entertainment Hans Zimmer Frozen 2 Walt Disney PicturesWalt Disney Animation Studios Christophe BeckRobert LopezKristen Anderson-Lopez Song Arranger and Orchestrator of all songs; Score Orchestrator; Co-Producer of all songs
2020s Year Title Studio(s) Composer(s) Notes 2022 Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Columbia PicturesSony Pictures Releasing Matthew MargesonBenj Pasek and Justin Paul Song Arranger, Producer, and Orchestrator of "Take A Look At Us Now" Spirited Apple TV+Apple Studios Dominic LewisBenj Pasek and Justin Paul Song Arranger, Producer, and Orchestrator of all songs Disenchanted Walt Disney Pictures Alan Menken Song Arranger and Orchestrator of all songs 2024Spellbound Skydance AnimationNetflixSong Orchestrator 2025 Snow White Walt Disney Pictures Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Song Arranger, Producer and Orchestrator of new songsHow to Train Your Dragon Universal PicturesDreamWorks Animation John Powell Legacy Orchestrator
Broadway orchestrations Year Title Notes1997 The Lion King Nominated for Tony Award for Best Orchestrations Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Orchestrations2016 Up Here La Jolla Playhouse2018Frozen August Rush Upcoming
Film and TV composer Years Title Notes 1992–1997 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno TV, NBC23 episodes 1998–2000 The Magnificent Seven TV, CBS12 episodes 2001–2003 The Legend of Tarzan TV, Disney9 episodes 2002 Tarzan & Jane DisneyDVDX Nomination for Best Original Score in a DVD Premiere MovieCo-composed with Patrick Griffin and Don L. Harper2005 Blood+ Aniplex, Production I.G.Co-composed with Mark Mancina Tarzan IIDisneyDVDX Winner for Best Original Score in a DVD Premiere MovieCo-composed with Mark Mancina 2006Brother Bear 2Disney2023 Once Upon a Studio Wish 2024 Mufasa: The Lion King
Video games You Don't Know Jack (1999). Sorcery (2012). Arranger, additional music. Sony Computer Entertainment Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009). Additional music, 3 levels. Activision
Miscellaneous Disney Castle Logo. Orchestrator and Arranger. Disney, 2006.
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