Biographical Note
Charles Miller was born around 1883 in Amsterdam and emigrated to the United States in 1888. He worked as a music secretary, copyist, arranger, orchestrator, and music publisher. The composers with whom he worked included John Philip Sousa, Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern, Vincent Youmans, and Rudolf Friml. The orchestration for which Miller is perhaps best well known is his Symphonic Scenario from Show Boat. He served as an editor and general manager at T. B. Harms, Inc. music publishers in New York City in the 1910s-1920s. In 1929, he founded the publishing house Miller Music, Inc., which was taken over by Robbins Music, the music branch of MGM Studios. Miller moved to Hollywood in 1937 and began working in the film music industry. He was married to Adela Mieles (1883-1965) and they had one son, Everett (born 1908). Miller died in New Hope, Pennsylvania, on October 20, 1979.