World Soundtrack Awards Gala & Concert
'In the year that we celebrate the 100th birthday of jazz, how could we not focus on this quintessential American art form at the World Soundtrack Awards?’ says artistic director Patrick Duynslaegher. ‘Especially since the rise of the Jazz Age coincided with the development and worldwide success of another quintessential American art form and entertainment: the movies. Over the years jazz and film have influenced and enriched each other. In our two concerts (World Soundtrack Awards Gala & Concert and Symphonic Jazz Concert) we bring the best of the great jazz scores from the past and the present. Two concerts you can’t afford to miss if you are a fan of film music, jazz or just plain great music!’
World Soundtrack Awards Gala & Concert - Wednesday October 18th
The prestigious Award Ceremony of the World Soundtrack Awards will take place in the presence of many composers and film music professionals. More names will be announced in the coming months; in the meantime, we can confirm the presence of three composers whose work will be performed in their presence.
Joe Kraemer, our Discovery 2016, has already composed many television scores, but is justly celebrated for his collaboration with writer turned director Christopher McQuarrie on The Way of the Gun, Jack Reacher, Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation, all action thrillers that benefit considerably from Joe Kraemer’s strongly eloquent scores.
David Shire is this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. During his impressive career he worked with great American directors as Francis Ford Coppola (The Conversation), Alan J. Pakula (All the President’s Men), Martin Ritt (Norma Rae), George Romero (Monkey Shines) and David Fincher (Zodiac). The best scores of the versatile Shire are jazz influenced (such as the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three from 1974) but he also excels in other styles, for instance his action score in the classic Hollywood tradition (TV-movie Raid on Entebbe) and he even embraced the disco sound with his irresistible Manhattan Skyline from Saturday Night Fever.
World-renowned trumpeter/composer/band leader and Blue Note recording artist Terence Blanchard is our central guest at the WSA evening. He is considered the most prolific jazz musician to ever compose for motion pictures. He began performing in the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. Two years later, he succeeded Wynton Marsalis in the legendary Jazz Messengers before forming his own influential groups. As a film composer Terence Blanchard is most known and admired for his unique collaboration with director Spike Lee that started in 1991 and includes Mo Better Blues, Malcolm X, Clockers, 25th Hour, Jungle Fever, Inside Man. His innovative approach to film scoring results in film music that can be gritty urban, but also heartfelt, richly emotional or low key. Sometimes there’s a blues sensibility at work but his jazz-flavoured arrangements also express a sense of anguish.
After the Award Ceremony we will hear the best of Terence Blanchard’s music for Spike Lee ‘joints’ but also his work for other directors.
Symphonic Jazz Concert – Classics Night – Thursday October 19th
We look back at the thrilling scores and tunes from legendary jazz scores of the past. Expect some tunes by Henry Mancini, one of the most adroit instrumentalists ever to work in films; some themes by Lalo Schifrin whose clever inventiveness colours his TV scores for Mission Impossible and Mannix; Elmer Bernstein’s striking jazz score for The Man with the Golden Arm; the jazzy rollicking Who Framed Roger Rabbit? score by Alan Silvestri, a composer with a chameleon personality. And much more!
17th World Soundtrack Awards @ Capitole Ghent
Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé
18 October 2017 – World Soundtrack Awards Gala & Concert - tickets available here
19 October 2017 – Symphonic Jazz Concert - tickets available here
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