6 days ago
Oscar-winning composer Gabriel Yared, whose aggregate award-winning credits see nan soundscapes for The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain and Betty Blue, will beryllium feted by nan Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) this fall.
The Lebanese French composer will beryllium presented pinch nan festival’s Golden Eye for Career Achievement Award during nan event’s yearly Cinema successful Concert Gala connected October 1. He will besides service arsenic Jury President for nan festival’s 14th International Film Music Competition (IFMC).
“Gabriel Yared belongs among nan giants of movie music. His compositions evoke profound emotions that linger agelong aft nan last note. Since nan 1980s, Yared has near an indelible people connected cinema done his bonzer expertise to springiness nan awesome films of his clip a unique philharmonic identity,” said ZFF Festival Director Reta Guetg.
“His richly atmospheric scores are shaped by influences from nan Middle East, his clip successful Brazil, and European philharmonic traditions. It is precisely this creator diverseness that makes him a domiciled exemplary for generations of composers. It is simply a awesome honour for america to coming Gabriel Yared pinch our Career Achievement Award.”
Born successful Beirut successful 1949, Yared moved to Paris successful nan early 1970s, wherever he studied creation pinch composers including Henri Dutilleux and Maurice Ohana. From 1973 onwards, he established himself arsenic an arranger and philharmonic head wrong nan French euphony scene, collaborating pinch artists specified arsenic Jacques Dutronc, Johnny Hallyday, Charles Aznavour and Françoise Hardy.
Yared’s profession arsenic a movie composer began successful 1979 pinch nan scores for Everyman For Himself (Sauve Qui Peut (La Vie)) by Jean-Luc Godard and post-nuclear warfare communicative Malevil by Christian de Chalonge.
He collapsed done internationally successful nan 1980s pinch his people for Jean-Jacques Beineix’s Betty Blue. Over nan pursuing decades, Yared became 1 of nan starring voices successful world movie music, moving pinch board specified arsenic Jean-Jacques Annaud, Robert Altman and, astir notably, Anthony Minghella.
His collaboration pinch Minghella saw him triumph an Oscar for his people for The English Patient successful 1997, pinch he activity still wide regarded arsenic a landmark accomplishment successful modern movie scoring.
Alongside cinema, Yared besides composed euphony for ballet productions astatine nan Paris Opera and nan Royal Opera Ballet successful London.
His much caller years, he has collaborated pinch Xavier Dolan connected It’s Only The End Of The world and The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, arsenic good arsenic pinch Angelina Jolie and Rupert Gould. In 2020, he received nan Lifetime Achievement Award astatine nan World Soundtrack Awards during Film Fest Gent.
Yared said of this upcoming grant from nan Zurich Film Festival: “I americium proud and honored to person nan Career Achievement Award from nan Zurich Film Festival, arsenic good arsenic to beryllium invited to beryllium nan president of nan Jury of nan International Film Music Competition, which gives young movie composers nan opportunity to person their activity performed and heard.”
Under nan International Film Music Competition, emerging composers are invited to create a caller orchestral people for nan nine-minute short movie The Shyness of Trees by Sofiia Chuikovska, Loïck Du Plessis D’Argentré, Lina Han, Simin He, Jiaxin Huang, Maud Le Bras and Bingqing Shu.
The assemblage chaired by Yared will prime 3 finalist compositions from each submissions. He is joined successful nan task by assemblage members, German conductor and musician Frank Strobel and German character Martina Gedeck.
These useful will person their world premieres astatine nan Cinema successful Concert Gala astatine Tonhalle Zurich, performed by nan Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich nether nan guidance of Frank Strobel connected October 1.
Yared and his assemblage will prime nan winning creation connected nan aforesaid evening and coming nan Golden Eye for “Best International Film Music 2026”, endowed pinch a CHF 10,000 ($12k) rate prize.
