Korngold was born in Brno, the son of the music critic Julius Korngold, and studied music under Alexander von Zemlinsky. He had success in Europe with his opera Die tote Stadt (1920) among other pieces before moving to the United States where he wrote a number of highly regarded film scores. He continued to write concert music in a rich, Romantic style, with a concerto for violin among his notable later works. He died in Hollywood.
