Howard Leslie Shore (born October 18, 1946) is a Canadian composer and conductor noted for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the
scores for ''
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 c ...
'' and ''
The Hobbit
''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
'' film trilogies. He won three
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for his work on ''The Lord of the Rings'', with one being for the song "
Into the West", an award he shared with
Eurythmics lead vocalist
Annie Lennox
Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...
and writer/producer
Fran Walsh, who wrote the lyrics. He is also a consistent
collaborator with director
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformatio ...
, having scored all but one of his films since 1979.
Shore has also composed a few concert works including one
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...
, ''
The Fly'', based on the plot of Cronenberg's
1986 film
The following is an overview of events in 1986 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.
Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1986 released films by box offi ...
, which premiered at the
Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on July 2, 2008; a short piece named ''Fanfare for the Wanamaker Organ and the Philadelphia Orchestra''; and a short overture for the Swiss 21st Century Symphony Orchestra. Shore has also composed for television, including serving as the original musical director for the American sketch comedy show ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serve ...
'' from 1975 to 1980.
In addition to his three
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, Shore has also won three
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
s and four
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
s.
Early life and career
Howard Shore was born in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, Canada, the son of Bernice (née Ash) and Mac Shore. Shore is
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. He started studying music at the age of 8 or 9. He learned a multitude of instruments and began playing in bands at the ages of 13 and 14. When Shore was 13, he met and became good friends with a young
Lorne Michaels in summer camp, and this friendship would later be influential in his career. By 17, he decided he wanted to pursue music in his adult life too. He studied music at
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cou ...
in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
after graduating from
Forest Hill Collegiate Institute.
From 1969 to 1972, Shore was a member of the
jazz fusion band
Lighthouse. In 1970, he became the music director for
Lorne Michaels and
Hart Pomerantz's short-lived TV program ''
The Hart & Lorne Terrific Hour''. Shore wrote the music for Canadian magician
Doug Henning's magic musical ''Spellbound'' in 1974 and, from 1975 to 1980, he was the musical director for Lorne Michaels' influential late-night NBC comedy show ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serve ...
'', appearing in many musical sketches, including Howard Shore and His All-Nurse Band, and dressed as a beekeeper for a
John Belushi/
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
performance of the
Slim Harpo classic "
I'm a King Bee". Shore also suggested the name for
The Blues Brothers to
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
and John Belushi.
Film scoring
1978–2000
Shore's first film score was to the low budget thriller ''
I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses'' (1978), followed by
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformatio ...
's first major film, ''
The Brood'' (1979).
He would go on to score all of Cronenberg's subsequent films, with the exception of ''
The Dead Zone The Dead Zone may refer to:
* ''The Dead Zone'' (novel), a 1979 novel by Stephen King
* ''The Dead Zone'' (film), a 1983 film adaptation of the novel, starring Christopher Walken and directed by David Cronenberg
* ''The Dead Zone'' (TV series), ...
'' (1983), which was scored by
Michael Kamen. The first film he scored that was not directed by Cronenberg was
Martin Scorsese's ''
After Hours'' (1985). Following that, he scored ''
The Fly'' (1986), again directed by Cronenberg. Two years later, he composed the score to ''
Big'' (1988), directed by
Penny Marshall
Carole Penny MarshallBorn Carole Penny Marshall in 1943, as per ''My Mother Was Nuts, a Memoir'', p. 10; . Copyright 2012 (October 15, 1943 – December 17, 2018) was an American actress, director and producer. She is known for her role as ...
and starring
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
. He then scored two more of David Cronenberg's films: ''
Dead Ringers'' (1988) and ''
Naked Lunch'' (1991).
During 1991, Shore composed the score for the highly acclaimed film ''
The Silence of the Lambs'', starring
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster (born November 19, 1962) is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and the hon ...
and
Anthony Hopkins, and directed by
Jonathan Demme. He received his first
BAFTA nomination for the score. The film became the third (and most recent) to win the five major Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress). Shore is the only living composer to have scored a "Top Five" Oscar-winning film.
During 1993, he composed the scores for ''
M. Butterfly'' (another collaboration with Cronenberg), ''
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
'' (his second collaboration with Jonathan Demme), and ''
Mrs. Doubtfire'', directed by
Chris Columbus Christopher Columbus was an explorer born in Genoa, Italy.
Christopher Columbus or Chris Columbus may also refer to:
People
* Chris Columbus (musician) (1902–2002), American jazz drummer
* Chris Columbus (filmmaker) (born 1958), American dire ...
. The latter two films were highly successful, ''Philadelphia'' winning
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
his first Oscar.
Shore scored another three films in 1994: ''
The Client'', ''
Ed Wood'', and ''
Nobody's Fool''. ''Ed Wood'' is notable for being one of the three films directed by Tim Burton that did not feature a score by
Danny Elfman
Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the singer-songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since the 1990s, Elfman has garnered internatio ...
.
Shore continued to score numerous films from 1995 to 2001, including two
David Fincher films, ''
Seven'' (1995) and ''
The Game
The Game or The Games may refer to:
Sports and games
* The Game (dice game) (German: ''Das Spiel''), a dice game designed by Reinhold Wittig
* The Game (mind game), a mind game, the objective of which is to avoid thinking about The Game itself
* ...
'' (1997), and ''
The Truth About Cats and Dogs
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...
'' (1996), directed by
Michael Lehmann; he also collaborated on two films with Cronenberg, along with Tom Hanks' directorial debut, ''
That Thing You Do!''. He scored
Kevin Smith’s ''
Dogma
Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...
'' (1999). Shore also composed the score of the 2000 film ''
The Cell
Cell most often refers to:
* Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life
Cell may also refer to:
Locations
* Monastic cell, a small room, hut, or cave in which a religious recluse lives, alternatively the small precursor of a monastery w ...
''.
2001–2006
Major success came in 2001 with his score to ''
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', the first film in the highly acclaimed ''
The Lord of the Rings trilogy''. The news that Shore would score the trilogy surprised some, since he was primarily associated with dark, ominous films and had never scored an epic of this scale. However, the score was hugely successful and won Shore his first Oscar, as well as a Grammy Award, and garnered Shore nominations for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. The music editor on the trilogy was
Suzana Peric. An excerpt from ''The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm'' was used in a teaser for 2013's
Superman film, ''
Man of Steel''.
The following year, Shore composed the scores to ''
Panic Room
''Panic Room'' is a 2002 American thriller film directed by David Fincher. The film stars Jodie Foster and Kristen Stewart as a mother and daughter whose new home is invaded by burglars, played by Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, and Dwight Y ...
'', ''
Gangs of New York'' (replacing
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...
), and ''
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'', the second film in the trilogy. (The latter two films were both nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only categor ...
.) Initially, Shore's score for ''The Two Towers'' was going to be deemed ineligible for submission to the Academy, due to a new rule that disallowed the submission of scores which contained themes from previous work. However, the implementation of this rule change was subsequently postponed, meaning the score remained eligible. Ultimately, ''The Two Towers'' score did not receive an Academy Award nomination; Shore did, however, receive a BAFTA nomination for ''Gangs of New York''.
In 2003, he composed the score for the final film in ''The Lord of the Rings trilogy'', ''
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''. The film was the most successful film in the trilogy and the most successful of the year. Shore won his second Oscar for Best Original Score, as well as a third for Best Original Song for "
Into the West", which he shared with
Fran Walsh and
Annie Lennox
Ann Lennox (born 25 December 1954) is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving moderate success in the late 1970s as part of the New wave music, new wave band the Tourists, she and fellow musician D ...
. Shore also won his first Golden Globe, his third and fourth Grammy (the fourth for Best Song), and was nominated for a third BAFTA. The scores of ''The Lord of the Rings'', performed primarily by the
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Sym ...
, became one of the most successful film scores ever written and the biggest success in Shore's career. The score has been repeatedly voted to be the best film score, and the review site Filmtracks named Shore's score "arguably the most respected and impressive trilogy of music of all time: Howard Shore's massive work for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings."
In 2004, Shore again collaborated with Martin Scorsese, scoring his epic film ''
The Aviator'', this time with the
Brussels Philharmonic. He won a second Golden Globe for the score, becoming the third composer to have won consecutive Golden Globes in the Original Score category. He also received his sixth Grammy nomination, and his fifth BAFTA nomination.
He collaborated again with David Cronenberg in 2005 to score ''
A History of Violence'', starring
Viggo Mortensen. The film was a success and received two Oscar nominations. In 2006, he collaborated for the fourth time with Martin Scorsese, this time to score ''
The Departed''. The film was highly successful and won four Oscars, including a long-awaited win for Scorsese, and Best Picture.
Although Shore was originally commissioned to compose the soundtrack for ''
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...
'', he was later replaced by
James Newton Howard due to "differing creative aspirations for the score" on his and the filmmakers' parts. This was a mutual agreement between himself and
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...
. Despite this, Shore has a cameo near the end of the film as the
conductor
Conductor or conduction may refer to:
Music
* Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra.
* ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas
* Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...
of the
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
in the theater, performing portions of
Max Steiner's score to the
original 1933 version of the film.
2007–present
In 2007, Shore composed the music for ''
Soul of the Ultimate Nation'', an online multiplayer video game. The soundtrack is notable for being the first video game soundtrack to feature
Lydia Kavina on the
theremin
The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...
. During 2007 he also composed the scores for ''
The Last Mimzy'' and ''
Eastern Promises'', the latter of which includes a section that has been performed in concert as Shore's ''Concertino for violin solo and chamber orchestra''. ''Eastern Promises'' was another collaboration with David Cronenberg and earned Shore his fourth Golden Globe nomination. In 2008, he scored ''
Doubt'', starring Meryl Streep and directed by
John Patrick Shanley. The film was a success, earning five Oscar nominations.
In 2010, Shore composed the score to ''
Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...
'', the third installment in the
''Twilight'' film series, following
Carter Burwell and
Alexandre Desplat
Alexandre Michel Gérard Desplat (; born 23 August 1961) is a French film composer and conductor. He has won many awards, including two Academy Awards, for his musical scores to the films '' The Grand Budapest Hotel'' and ''The Shape of Water'' ...
, who scored the first and second films, respectively. He also replaced
John Corigliano to score ''
Edge of Darkness'', starring
Mel Gibson.
Shore's 2011 projects were ''
A Dangerous Method'', continuing his long-term collaboration with director David Cronenberg. He also composed the score to
Martin Scorsese's ''
Hugo'', his fifth collaboration with the director, which earned him a sixth Golden Globe nomination and fourth Oscar nomination.
He also composed the score to
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...
's ''
The Hobbit
''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...
'' film series.
In addition, Shore composed the opening theme for the Rings of Power show run by Amazon.
Conducting and performing
Since 2004, he has toured the world
conducting local
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
s in the performance of his new
symphonic arrangement of his highly acclaimed ''
Lord of the Rings'' scores. The new work is entitled ''The Lord of the Rings: Symphony in Six Movements''. There are two movements for each of the movies, and an
intermission between the second and third (or first and second film titles) movements. The concert presentation of the symphony also includes projected still images of sketches by John Howe and Alan Lee relating the music being performed to scenes from the films. Recently, however, Shore has been busy with other projects, leaving other conductors including Markus Huber, Ludwig Wicki, Alexander Mickelthwaite, and
John Mauceri to lead the orchestras.
April 24, 2008 marked the North American Live to Projection debut of ''Fellowship of the Ring'', with the score performed live by the
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ludwig Wicki. Wicki also conducted the Filene Center Orchestra at the Wolf Trap Farm Park in Vienna, Virginia on May 21 and 22, 2008 in the U.S. premiere of the ''Fellowship of the Ring'' Live to Projection.
September 16, 2010 Shore conducted the RSO Vienna (Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra) which performed "In Dreams from The Fellowship of the Ring" at
Hollywood in Vienna in Vienna, Austria.
Shore was commissioned by Macy's to write a Fanfare for the Store's 150th anniversary featuring the
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscripti ...
and the
Wanamaker Organ, the world's largest playing pipe organ. The work was debuted in the Grand Court of Macy's Philadelphia Store on September 27, 2008 in a concert that drew reviews from most of the major East Coast newspapers.
Shore's opera ''The Fly'' had its world premiere performance at the
Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on July 2, 2008 and its United States premiere at
Los Angeles Opera on September 7, 2008. The production was directed by
David Cronenberg
David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformatio ...
and conducted by
Plácido Domingo. ''The Fly'' had a new production mounted by Theatre Trier in Germany in 2014 staged by
Sebastian Welker and conducted by Joongbae Jee.
Shore was commissioned by the Beijing Music Festival to write ''
Ruin and Memory'', a piano concerto, for the pianist
Lang Lang. The world premiere was on October 11, 2010 performed by Lang Lang,
The China Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by
Long Yu. His second concerto, ''
Mythic Gardens'', premiered April 27, 2012 with Sophie Shao on cello solo, The
American Symphony Orchestra and conducted by
Leon Botstein.
Shore's song cycle ''A Palace Upon the Ruins'' premiered in 2014 at the
Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival and at the La Jolla SummerFest featuring mezzo-soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano. ''A Palace Upon the Ruins'' is a song cycle of six songs with words by Elizabeth Cotnoir.
''Sea to Sea'' was commissioned by
New Brunswick Youth Orchestra in celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary of confederation and premiered on July 2, 2017 in Moncton, New Brunswick with soloist
Measha Brueggergosman and Antonio Delgado conducting. ''Sea to Sea'' has lyrics by Elizabeth Cotnoir.
The song cycle ''L'Aube'' premiered October 19 & 20, 2017 in Toronto at
Roy Thompson Hall
Roy Thomson Hall is a concert hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located downtown in the city's entertainment district, it is home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and the Toronto Defiant. Opened in 1982, its cir ...
conducted by
Peter Oundjian and performed by soloist Susan Platts and commissioning orchestra, the
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toron ...
. ''L'Aube'' consists of five songs with text by Elizabeth Cotnoir.
''The Forest'' a guitar concerto composed for
Miloš Karadaglić
Miloš Karadaglić (Serbian Cyrillic: Милош Карадаглић, born 23 April 1983), sometimes known just by his mononym Miloš, is a classical guitarist and Deutsche Grammophon/ Mercury Classics recording artist from Montenegro.
Biograph ...
will premiere in Ottawa on May 1 & 2, 2019 with the
National Arts Centre Orchestra and
Alexander Shelley conducting.
Television
In addition to writing the original theme song for ''Saturday Night Live'', as well as the closing theme, Shore also co-wrote the theme song for ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musi ...
'' with
John Lurie. The theme was carried over to ''
The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 2010 ...
'' when O'Brien succeeded
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir Leno (; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and actor. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 to 2 ...
as host.
In September 2021, it was reported that Shore was in talk to compose the music for the upcoming ''
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 c ...
'' TV series on
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service of Amazon offered as a standalone service or as part of Amazon's Prime subscription. The service p ...
, returning from the ''Lord of the Rings'' and ''Hobbit'' films.
Radio
Shore narrated a one-hour
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
documentary/soundscape on music in thriller/suspense film genres also including references to radio dramas and other media. The episode was called "Unsettling Scores" and premiered on the program called
Inside the Music.
Personal life
Shore is married to Elizabeth Cotnoir, a writer, producer and documentary filmmaker. He has a daughter, Mae.
He is the uncle of film composer
Ryan Shore.
As of 2004, Shore lives in
Tuxedo Park, New York.
Filmography
Film
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Television films and series
* ''
The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour'' (1970, musical director)
* ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serve ...
'' (1975–86, musical director)
* ''Steve Martin's Best Show Ever'' (1981)
* ''
The New Show'' (1984)
* ''Big Shots in America'' (1985)
* ''Scales of Justice'' (1990–91)
* ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musi ...
'' (1993–2009, theme music)
*
''Nova'' (1997)
*
''POV'' (2009)
* ''
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, as part of NBC's ''Tonight Show'' franchise. O'Brien had previously hosted NBC's ''Late N ...
'' (2009–10, theme music)
* ''
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'' (2022, theme music)
Video games
* ''
Soul of the Ultimate Nation'' (2007)
* ''
Honor of Kings
''Honor of Kings'' (, unofficially translated as "King of Glory," or alternatively transliterated as Wangzhe Rongyao) is a multiplayer online battle arena developed by TiMi Studio Group and published by Tencent Games for the iOS and Android mo ...
'' (2015)
Selected concert music works
* ''Fanfare'', organ (2008)
* ''
The Fly'', opera (2008)
* ''
Ruin and Memory'', piano concerto (2010)
* ''
Mythic Gardens'', cello concerto (2012)
*''A Palace Upon the Ruins'', song cycle (2014)
*''L'Aube (The Dawn)'', song cycle (2017)
Accolades
Shore has received four Academy Award nominations, winning three, two for
Best Original Score, for ''
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (2001), and ''
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' (2003). He also won the Oscar for
Best Original Song for "
Into the West" from ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''. He received his fourth nomination for his work on ''
Hugo''.
Shore has also received six
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nominations, winning three consecutive awards for
Best Original Score and
Best Original Song - "Into the West" for ''
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King'' (2003) and ''
The Aviator'' (2004), making him the second composer (after
Alan Menken
Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer, best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores and songs for '' The Little Mermaid'' (1989), '' Beauty and the Beast'' (1991), ...
) to have received consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Score. He also won three consecutive
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
Awards for Best Score for each of the Lord of the Rings films, and received a second award in 2003 for the song "Into the West" from "Return of the King" in the category of Best Song. He has also received five BAFTA nominations, but has not won.
On June 11, 2007, Shore was awarded an
Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from
York University
York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,000 faculty and staf ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...
for "his sweeping artistic vision".
Shore has also been honored with awards from
The National Board of Review,
Recording Academy Honors,
The Broadcast Film Critics,
Chicago Film Critics
The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) is an association of professional film critics, who work in print, broadcast and online media, based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The organization was founded in 1990 by film critics Sharon L ...
,
Genie Award
The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for sc ...
,
World Soundtrack Award, New York's
Gotham Award, and The
Saturn Award
The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...
for Science Fiction.
Shore is the first recipient of the Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for a Science Fiction Feature Film for ''
The Last Mimzy''.
In May 2008, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cou ...
during Berklee's commencement ceremony at the Agganis Arena.
On September 16, 2010 he was awarded the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award by the City of
Vienna
en, Viennese
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, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
at the yearly film music gala concert
Hollywood in Vienna.
In 2012, he received Canada's
Governor General's Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
In 2016, he was appointed as an
Officer of the Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
for his work towards the film and music industry.
See also
*
List of film director and composer collaborations
References
External links
*
*
Howard Shore Interview at Tracksounds
*
''A Composer's Dream'' a short film tribute to Shore on his Governor General's Performing Arts Award,
National Film Board of Canada website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shore, Howard
1946 births
20th-century Canadian composers
20th-century Canadian male musicians
20th-century classical composers
21st-century Canadian composers
21st-century Canadian male musicians
21st-century classical composers
Berklee College of Music alumni
Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners
Best Original Score Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners
Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters
Best Original Song Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners
Canadian classical composers
Canadian contemporary classical composers
Canadian film score composers
Canadian male classical composers
Canadian opera composers
Georges Delerue Award winners
Governor General's Performing Arts Award winners
Golden Globe Award-winning musicians
Grammy Award winners
Jewish Canadian musicians
Jewish classical composers
Jewish opera composers
Lighthouse (band) members
Living people
Male film score composers
Male opera composers
Musicians from Toronto
Officers of the Order of Canada
Saturday Night Live Band members
Varèse Sarabande Records artists