Howard Shore

Composer/Conductor


            


Full Name: Howard Leslie Shore

Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Birth Date: 18th October 1946

Marital status: He is married to Elizabeth Cotnoir

 

 

 

 


Trivia:

  • Performed in Canadian rock band Lighthouse from 1969 until 1972, playing in the horn section

  • Studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston

  • Had a cameo role in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), during the drinking scene, where he portrayed a Rohirrim Guard

  • Was one of the original creators of Saturday Night Live and was the musical director from 1975 to 1980. He also appeared in numerous musical sketches including Howard Shore and His All Nurse Band

  • Since 2004, he has toured the world performing the score for The Lord of the Rings with other conductors taking his place when he has been busy with other projects

  • Parents are Mac and Bernice Shore

  • First film score was The Brood (1979)

  • He was originally meant to compose the music for Peter Jackson's King Kong (2005) but due to artistic differences, he left the project

  • In 2007, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree from York University in Toronto for his “sweeping artistic vision”

  • Was not eligible to be Oscar nominated for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The Academy Awards imposed a new rule which stated that scores containing themes from previous work could not be nominated. This rule was soon dropped

  • Is uncle of composer Ryan Shore

  • Was commissioned by Macy’s to compose a fanfare for their 150th anniversary celebration. It featured the Wanamaker Organ, the largest playing pipe organ in the world

  • Is the first and currently only composer to win back-to-back Golden Globes in the Original Score category. He won in 2004 for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the next year with The Aviator (2004)

  • Wrote a piano concerto for Lang Lang

  • He married his wife in 1990, and together they have a daughter Mae

  • He has scored all but one of directors David Cronenberg’s movies since 1979

  • Was originally intended to score for Peter Jackson’s King Kong (2005), but due to creative differences between himself and the film makers this did not happen

  • On September 16th, 2010 he was awarded the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award by the city of Vienna which he received at the yearly film gala concert, Hollywood In Vienna

  • Co-wrote the theme song for The Tonight Show

  • Has written an opera of The Fly and is currently working on a second opera

  • He is the only composer alive today who has scored for a “Top Five” Oscar winning film. This was for Silence of the Lambs which in 1991 won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay

  • Had a cameo in King Kong as the conductor of the orchestra


    Notable Projects:

  • Hugo (2011)
  • The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
  • Eastern Promises (2007)
  • The Departed (2006)
  • A History of Violence (2005)
  • The Aviator (2004)
  • Gangs of New York (2002)
  • Panic Room (2002)
  • Se7en (1995)
  • Ed Wood (1994)
  • Philadelphia (1993)
  • The Silence of the Lambs (1991)


    Current Projects:

  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
  • The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
  • The Hobbit: There and Back Again (2014)
  • Sinatra (Unknown)
  • The Spider (Unknown)


    Selected Awards:

  • 2005: Golden Globe for Best Original Score (The Aviator)
  • 2005: Grammy for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture (Into the West; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
  • 2005: Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
  • 2004: Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
  • 2004: Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song (Into the West; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
  • 2004: Golden Globe for Best Original Score (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
  • 2004: Golden Globe for Best Original Song (Into the West; The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
  • 2004: Best Score Soundtrack for a Motion Picture (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)
  • 2004: Saturn Award for Best Music (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)
  • 2003: Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)
  • 2003: Hollywood Film Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music in Film
  • 2002: Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)
  • 1995: Saturn Award for Best Music (Ed Wood)

     

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