The music of award-winning composer James Newton Howard will be celebrated in concert at the 12th World Soundtrack Awards, which will be held at the Kuipke Events Centre in Ghent on Saturday, October 20th. Howard is one of the most versatile and respected film music composers currently working in film. A program of his impressive music will be performed by the renowned Brussels Philharmonic and be accompanied by select film clips. The concert will be conducted by both Howard and Dirk Brossé.
In addition, composer Pino Donaggio will be receiving the World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award at the event. A selection of his work will also be performed at the concert.
The World Soundtrack Awards was established by the Ghent Film Festival's World Soundtrack Academy in 2001. The World Soundtrack Awards has emerged in the last decade as a top honour for film composers. Known as the world's premiere festival for celebrating and honouring film music, the Ghent Film Festival is celebrating its 39th year and runs October 9–20.
Howard most recently scored the blockbuster film The Hunger Games. His credits include King Kong, The Sixth Sense, The Fugitive and Pretty Woman, among many others.
James Newton Howard has received eight Oscar® nominations, including six for "Best Original Score" and two "Best Original Song."
In 2009, Howard won a Grammy Award along with Hans Zimmer for their score for The Dark Knight.
In 2008, Howard was crowned "Film Composer of the Year" at the World Soundtrack Awards.
Howard boasts a portfolio with over 100 film scores, including seven films by director M. Night Shyamalan, six films directed by Lawrence Kasdan, seven films starring Julia Roberts, and three animated films for Walt Disney Studios.
Donaggio is a frequent collaborator of director Brian De Palma. Donaggio will also be scoring De Palma's upcoming feature Passion. The Italian composer gained early recognition in Italy for his work as a singer and songwriter.
The Ghent Film Festival and its long-lasting partner, the Brussels Philharmonic, have expressed their passion for music organising prestigious film music concerts over the years in collaboration with the in-house composer and Music Director Dirk Brossé. This collaboration has put top-notch composers including Ennio Morricone, Elmer Bernstein, John Williams, Howard Shore, Angelo Badalamenti, John Barry and Hans Zimmer in the spotlight.
This collaboration grew into an international success and even resulted in Howard Shore turning to the Brussels Philharmonic for the recording of the score for Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, which was awarded a Golden Globe. The Oscar-winning recording of the soundtrack of The Artist is another major highlight.
In addition to this, the Ghent Film Festival and the Brussels Philharmonic have recorded five CDs. The "For The Record" series is a collection of the most beautiful film music by composers Craig Armstrong (Romeo + Juliet, Love Actually), Mychael Danna (Little Miss Sunshine, Capote), Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet), Shigeru Umebayashi (2046, House of Flying Daggers) and Gabriel Yared (The Talented Mr. Ripley, The English Patient). In October 2011 a collectors' box was launched, which is available at www.filmfestival.be and in Fnac stores.
12th World Soundtrack Awards & Concert
Saturday October 20, 2012 at 8 p.m. at 't Kuipke in Ghent
Guest of honour: James Newton Howard
Performance by the Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé
accompanied by film scenes projected onto a big screen
Tickets for the World Soundtrack Awards & concert cost €29, €39 or €49 and will be on sale at www.filmfestival.be.