HOWARD SHORE

Contemporary film composer Howard Shore releases the second pre-release track of his upcoming album, which features a perfect synthesis of the three concerts he gave in the spring of 2023 at the Maison de Radio France in Paris. Two of the presented concerts feature the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, one conducted by Ludwig Wicki and the other by Bastien Stil. The third concert focuses more on his experimental compositions, revealing the extent of Shore’s chameleon-like ability to switch between the most varied of genres and scales. A small group of inspired soloists – Olivier Doise, Jean-Paul Gasparian, Raphaëlle Moreau, Stéphane Guillaume and Lydia Kavina – took it in turns to give brilliant performances. 

Known best for his work on the soundtrack for the ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, followed a decade later by ‘The Hobbit’, Shore is considered one of the most innovative contemporary film composers for more than 40 years now. “In my opinion, film music is one of the rare territories where a composer can write freely, providing that he chooses the films and subjects that suit his personality. You learn to establish a relationship with the director based on trust, so that they will encourage you to express yourself in a personal way, to be different and ambitious. It’s about cooperation, perspective, and conviction,” says Shore. 

Listen to the second pre-release track, a recording of Shore’s The Noble Wood (I Roderyn) from the first ‘The Hobbit’ movie, performed by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, conductor Ludwig Wicki and solo oboist Olivier Doise. The full album will be released digitally, on CD and vinyl on 21 March 2025.