History
Howard Shore: A Master of Film Scores and Concert Works
Howard Leslie Shore OC (born October 18, 1946) is a highly acclaimed Canadian composer renowned for his extensive work in film scoring. With a career spanning over 80 films, Shore is perhaps most celebrated for his evocative scores for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. His contributions to the former earned him three Academy Awards, including one for the original song "Into the West," which he shared with Annie Lennox and Fran Walsh.
Shore also maintains a long-standing and fruitful collaboration with director David Cronenberg, having composed the music for all but one of his films since 1979. This partnership has resulted in some of cinema's most memorable and unsettling soundscapes.
Beyond the Silver Screen: Concert Works and Early Life
In addition to his film compositions, Shore has also penned notable concert works. His opera, The Fly, inspired by Cronenberg's 1986 film, premiered in Paris in 2008. Other concert pieces include Fanfare for the Wanamaker Organ and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and an overture for the Swiss 21st Century Symphony Orchestra.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Shore displayed an early aptitude for music, beginning his studies around the age of eight or nine. He mastered numerous instruments and was performing in bands by his early teens. A significant friendship formed at summer camp with Lorne Michaels would later prove influential. By 17, Shore was committed to a life in music, pursuing his studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
A Versatile Career: From Jazz Fusion to Saturday Night Live
Shore's diverse musical journey included a stint as a member of the jazz fusion band Lighthouse from 1969 to 1972. He also served as music director for Lorne Michaels' early television projects, including The Hart & Lorne Terrific Hour. A pivotal role came when he became the musical director for NBC's influential sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live, from 1975 to 1980. During this period, he contributed significantly to musical sketches and even suggested the name "The Blues Brothers" to Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi.
Conducting His Own Masterpieces and Recent Commissions
Since 2004, Shore has embarked on global tours, conducting local orchestras in performances of his symphonic arrangements of The Lord of the Rings scores, presented as The Lord of the Rings: Symphony in Six Movements. These concerts often feature projected imagery to complement the music.
Shore's opera, The Fly, received its North American premiere at the Los Angeles Opera in 2008, directed by David Cronenberg himself. He has also received commissions for significant orchestral works, including the piano concerto Ruin and Memory for Lang Lang, and Mythic Gardens for solo cello. His song cycles, such as A Palace Upon the Ruins, L’Aube, and Sea to Sea, have been premiered at various prestigious festivals and by leading orchestras.
His contributions extend to television themes, including the original theme song for Saturday Night Live and the theme for Late Night with Conan O'Brien, co-written with John Lurie. Shore also narrated a CBC Radio documentary on music in thriller and suspense genres titled "Unsettling Scores."
Howard Shore is married to Elizabeth Cotnoir, a writer, producer, and documentary filmmaker. He resides in Tuxedo Park, New York.
