‘Lord of the Rings’ composer Howard Shore to be honored at Zurich Film Festival with Career Achievement Award

Shore will be honored with the ZFF Career Achievement Award during the "Cinema in Concert" gala held at Tonhalle Zürich on October 5. (Image via X)

At this year's Zurich Film Festival, running from October 3-13, acclaimed Canadian composer Howard Shore, a three-time Academy Award winner, will be honored with the prestigious Career Achievement Award. The award ceremony is set for October 5, coinciding with the festival’s Cinema in Concert event, where Shore will also lead the jury for the 12th International Film Music Competition (IFMC).

As jury president, he will evaluate young composers tasked with scoring an 8-minute short film. Their compositions will be performed live by the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich under Frank Strobel’s direction on October 5, with the presence of the nominees. The winning score will earn a CHF 10,000 (Rs. 9 lakh) prize.

The Zurich Film Festival lauds Shore as “one of the most renowned composers of our time,” whose work has “captivated people of all generations.”

“Howard Shore is one of the greatest film composers of our time,” Artistic Director of the Zurich Film Festival, Christian Jungen said. “He has written iconic scores for milestones in film history such as 'Lord Of The Rings' or 'The Silence Of The Lambs'. He is a musician who listens well before composing and puts his melodies entirely at the service of the stories. He is also distinguished by his enormous versatility and can elevate films in any genre with his music. We owe intense and unforgettable cinematic experiences to Shore’s music,” added the director.

“I am honored to come to Zurich for the festival’s 20th anniversary, to receive this career achievement recognition and lead the film music competition jury,” Shore remarked. “I look forward to the ‘Cinema in Concert’ gala celebrating the art of music in films.”

Shore's Remarkable Career Encompasses Over 80 Films and Collaborations with David Cronenberg, Plus Acclaimed Scores for Jonathan Demme, Tom McCarthy, Martin Scorsese, and Numerous Classical Compositions. His work on the “Lord Of The Rings” and “The Hobbit film” trilogies was accoladed with multiple Oscars for Best Original Score.

Shore will be honored with the ZFF Career Achievement Award during the "Cinema in Concert" gala held at Tonhalle Zürich on October 5. The 20th edition of the Zurich Film Festival takes place from October 3 to 13.