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Famous music from movies is almost instantly recognizable worldwide and can evoke strong emotions as they’re matched perfectly with the action on screen. However, not many people know much about the music composers who create these pieces of audio artwork that manage to bring a movie to life. Here’s a list of just some of the extremely talented film music composers.
John Williams
A true giant in the world of music, John Williams has composed pieces of music for all but two of the legendary director Steven Spielberg’s films. With over forty prestigious awards to his name, including five Oscars and seven BAFTAs, there’s no shortage of recognition for this talented musician. His list of movies is extensive with Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Superman, Saving Private Ryan and E.T. under his belt, to name just a few. Judging by that impressive list, you don’t need to be told how incredibly talented he is and how in-demand his music is.
Maurice-Alexis Jarre
Maurice Jarre was unusual in that he only began learning music when he was in his late teens, as opposed to many musicians who begin from a very young age. He is known for his favored use of percussive instruments. In 1961, Jarre’s breakthrough came when he was asked to compose the score for Lawrence of Arabia, earning him his first Oscar. Three years later he won his second Oscar by composing the music for Doctor Zhivago. Needless to say, this music composer reaped the rewards for his hard work.
Hans Zimmer
One of the most diverse and innovative film movie composers in cinema history, here are just some of the movies Hans Zimmer has composed for: The Lion King, Rain Man, Gladiator, The Last Samurai and The Dark Knight. He has been nominated for seven Oscars, seven Golden Globes and seven Grammys; not bad to be able to put down on your CV. His score for Gladiator became one of the best selling film score albums ever.
Howard Shore
With his trademark dark, ominous themed music, Shore often works with film directors Peter Jackson and David Cronenberg. With well-known films such as The Lord of the Rings and The Silence of the Lambs to his name, Howard shore has proved himself time and time again as a very talented and reliable music composer.
James Newton Howard
Howard’s trademark seems to be that he will never conduct his own pieces of music. Often collaborating with Hans Zimmer, Howard has been nominated for eight Academy Awards. He has even toured with Elton John. With his reputation as a very fast worker, Howard is often asked to provide last-minute soundtracks or to improve existing ones.
Danny Elfman
Of course the composer of The Simpsons’ theme tune is going to be on this list. Although The Simpsons isn’t a movie, Danny Elfman has composed more than his fair share of well-known pieces of music for incredibly famous films. These films include Batman, Spiderman, Mission: Impossible and Men in Black. Quite an impressive list which is why he has cemented his position as one of the best music composers in Hollywood
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This article was written by Alex Girardi, who recommends www.envisionsound.com if you need a top quality music score composed.