Hans Zimmer retains his crown as one of the greatest Hollywood composers of all time, creating epic, memorable scores for some of the biggest and most acclaimed films released every year. Those who buy tickets to the films he scores - or the lucky few who may see him on a concert tour - are swept up in an astonishingly diverse and captivating wall of sound, encompassing a wide range of influences. Everything from electronica to world music and orchestral sounds are included in Zimmer's fascinating soundtracks, succinctly capturing the environment and themes of the films he works on. In 2014, Zimmer's score for Ridley Scott’s acclaimed 2000 epic Gladiator will be presented live in concert for the first time in the UK, performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra and Philharmonia Chorus conducted by Justin Freer.
Zimmer, a native of Germany, worked in the new-wave music scene of the 1980s before moving into music composition for film. After scoring music for the Oscar-winning Best Pictures "The Last Emperor," "Driving Miss Daisy" and "Rain Man," he found wide acclaim and success with his memorable score to the children's favorite "The Lion King" and the action blockbuster "Crimson Tide." The 2000s saw him work on even bigger films, including the four "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, "The Da Vinci Code" and "Sherlock Holmes." Perhaps his most popular modern work, though, is his work with director Christopher Nolan; Zimmer has scored the three "Batman" movies and the Academy Award-nominated Leonardo DiCaprio flick "Inception." Zimmer picked up the biggest and brightest award in the composing universe in 1995, winning an Academy Award for his score to "The Lion King." He won a Golden Globe and two Grammy awards for the same score, and picked up another Golden Globe in 2001 for his "Gladiator" soundtrack. Zimmer has also received Oscar nominations for his work on the films "Inception," "Sherlock Holmes" and "The Prince of Egypt." With a sterling list of credits and more high-profile work coming in 2014, including the "Amazing Spider-Man" sequel and Nolan's "Interstellar," Zimmer's sounds are sure to entertain moviegoers everywhere for years to come.