WSA 2016

This year the World Soundtrack Academy presents a brand new award: Best TV Composer. And Jeff Beal is the first composer to take it home! Honouring this precious art, the concert Composed for Television features world premieres of TV scores by a fantastic line-up of composers, who will share the stage with Brussels Philharmonic and maestro Dirk Brossé. Jeff Russo heads for the drums, Sean Callery caresses the piano and Jeff Beal shines in a trumpet solo.

During the World Soundtrack Awards Gala, the World Soundtrack Academy honours an iconic composer from the East. The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to Ryuichi Sakamoto. Already a celebrated rock-pop composer/pianist/singer in Japan, he conquered the international film scene in 1983 with his first film score for Nagisa Ōshima’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, a film in which he also starred alongside David Bowie. During the WSA Gala, Brussels Philharmonic plays the mesmerizing main theme for his debut film, and also the themes from Almodovar’s High Heels, Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor and Brian De Palma’s Femme Fatale. Sakamoto conceived a unique approach to composing for film: a blend of splendid melodies, synthesizer work, traditional orchestral music, drum tracks, sound effects and unusual musical colours.

Other events this year include a new edition of the WSA Industry Day, with a range of international professionals from the TV and film (music) industry present, a Film Music Seminar where the fading line between complex TV drama and film is discussed, the composition contest for young international composers, and of course the beloved Meet & Greet, the place to be for fans to meet the WSA nominees and special guests.