This year we were fortunate to attend and review twenty film music-related concerts around the world.
The year kicked off with two performances in the UK.
First was COME ALIVE! THE GREATEST SHOWMAN CIRCUS SPECTACULAR. As the name suggests, the hit film THE GREATEST SHOWMAN finally made its way to the stage in the form of a circus spectacular complete with the film’s iconic songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, exciting dance performances, and captivating acrobatic acts.
WILD ISLES IN CONCERT came next with a concert that featured legendary composer George Fenton conducting live his music from WILD ISLES, a BBC nature documentary series about the British Isles. The encore had a rapturous performance of Fenton’s End Title march music from VALIANT, an animated comedy about the Royal Homing Pigeon Service.
We then made our way to Paris for two concerts by France’s premier composers: Alexandre Desplat and Philippe Rombi.
Desplat conducted a concert of his greatest hits for the movies FROM PARIS TO HOLLYWOOD including music for the films of Wes Anderson, Stephen Frears, Guillermo del Toro, Greta Gerwig, and many more. Fortunately, a live recording of this concert was released on CD by Warner Classics.
A day after this concert, Philippe Rombi gave the concert of a lifetime with a career retrospective at Maison de la Radio et de la Musique in Paris. Conducted by Bastien Stil with Rombi himself at the piano, it was a stunning concert brimming with emotion and beauty. For this reviewer, it was easily the concert of the year.
In Japan, the Film Score Philharmonic Orchestra returned to the concert hall with a tremendous performance of John Williams’ music from the STAR WARS films. Under the trusty baton of prolific conductor Nobuki Okumura, it was a concert for the ages that also featured a tremendous performance in the encore of Michael Giacchino’s music from ROGUE ONE.
Alan Menken’s skills as both a songwriter and film composer were once again showcased at ALADDIN IN CONCERT, an unforgettable live-to-film concert experience in Yokohama that featured a live performance of “A Whole New World” by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle. It would have been perfect if Menken had been there himself accompanying them on the piano… one can dream!
Conductor Keith Lockhart and Orchestra Japan then brought a very special John Williams tribute concert to Japan. Covering Williams’ greatest hits from JAWS to HARRY POTTER, SUPERMAN to STAR WARS, it was an enchanting concert full of exquisite solos and fascinating short video interviews featuring Williams himself.
Arriving at 88 mph, BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL finally made its way to the Shiki Theatre Company Tokyo. Featuring songs (translated into Japanese) by the dynamic songwriting team of Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard, it was a cracking show from start to end. And those “Marty McFries” sold at the theatre restaurant – you’d be a butthead to miss them!
Late April saw Danny Elfman return to Tokyo to put on a show full of ghoulish delight with his music from the films of Tim Burton. Conducted by John Mauceri with a special guest performance by violin virtuoso Sandy Cameron, we were treated to the iconic main themes from PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE, BATMAN, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, BIG FISH, WEDNESDAY, and many, many more. Capping off the concert was Elfman himself on vocals as Jack Skellington for select pieces from THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
We then flew to Vienna to see James Newton Howard conduct the Wiener Symphoniker and the Wiener Singverein in a concert of his most beloved hits for the movies. A concert full of highlights, special mention must be made of the tremendous pieces from FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, THE LAST AIRBENDER, SIGNS and MALEFICENT.
Back in Japan, legendary composer Hans Zimmer (and his band of all-stars) held his first ever concerts in the country, wowing audiences with music from fan-favourites such as INTERSTELLAR, THE LIOK KING, THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and more. Other standout pieces included the suite from THE LAST SAMURAI as well as the music from GLADIATOR performed by its original vocalist, Lisa Gerrard.
The Avengers assembled in a Yokohama concert hall for MARVEL STUDIOS’ INFINITY SAGA CONCERT EXPERIENCE, a concert featuring the music from IRON MAN all the way to AVENGERS: ENDGAME. Key pieces by almost every composer in the series was highlighted with Alan Silvestri leading the way with his music for CAPTAIN AMERICA and THE AVENGERS films. Michael Giacchino was also heavily represented with his iconic MARVEL STUDIOS FANFARE as well as his exciting music from SPIDER-MAN and DOCTOR STRANGE.
Next came a concert that many in Japan had been waiting almost 17 years for: legendary composerJoe Hisaishi conducting a concert of his music for the animated films of Studio Ghibli in his homeland Japan. In this unforgettable concert, key pieces from NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND to the 2023 Academy Award-winning animated film THE BOY AND THE HERON received stunning performances from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, choirs, guest soloists, and military marching band regiments.
In Italy, the “Jazz and Wine in Montalcino” festival played host to Nicola Piovani’s NOTE A MARGINE, a concert for a 4-musician ensemble covering highlights from Piovani’s long and illustrious career in music for film and other media. Hearing Piovani perform solo at the piano his Academy Award-winning music from LA VITA E BELLA was an absolute treat and something this reviewer will never forget.
Back in Japan, composer Taro Iwashiro held his 60th birthday concert in Tokyo to perform his greatest hits for film and TV as well as projects that held great personal significance to him. Among a sea of highlights included pieces from the iconic TV series WITH LOVE, the epic NHK TV Taiga drama AOI, and a new and rapturous arrangement of Iwashiro’s main theme for the John Woo epic, RED CLIFF.
A few weeks later, Japan-based American composer Evan Call held an “Orchestra Concert” in Tokyo to showcase his most emotional, epic and memorable themes for anime, TV and more. That I had not discovered Evan Call until I chanced upon his music at the Gundam exhibit at Osaka Expo is a real shame – he is a genuine talent with an exciting career ahead of him.
James Horner‘s timeless score for FIELD OF DREAMS saw a live-to-picture performance by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Needless to say, many were an emotional mess by the end of the performance, with this reviewer desperately wanting an encore of the tremendous finale that features the piece, “The Place Where Dreams Come True.”
We then made our way to Los Angeles for the final three concerts of the year.
First was Roy Budd‘s score for the 1925 horror film THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Performed live-to-picture by the LA Opera Orchestra under the baton of prolific conductor Frank Strobel, it was an unforgettable concert that reminded us of the tremendous talent of composer Roy Budd who tragically passed away from a brain hemorrhage just weeks before the premiere in London in 1993.
Halloween night (no less!) saw John Carpenter and his band of all-stars enrapture an audience of hardcore fans at the downtown Belasco Theater. Performing a program of his biggest hits from the movies as well as music from his LOST THEMES concept albums, we were also treated to a special preview of his new album due for release next year.
For our final concert review of the year we descended into the stuff of nightmares with the terrifying music of THE EVIL DEAD by Joseph LoDuca performed live-to-film with the composer himself in attendance. The film’s score had been “reimagined” in the sense that LoDuca went back to the original score – which was in fact his first ever film score – and rewrote and reorchestrated parts of it after decades of experience working as a film composer. The resulting work is both terrifying and beautiful. And dare I say, “groovy.”
And that’s a wrap for 2025!
Looking forward to 2026, we intend to review concerts featuring music by Patrick Doyle, Jung Jae-il, Vince DiCola, John Powell, and many more.
As always, thank you for visiting the site and have a happy and healthy New Year!
With my warmest regards,
Alain
Soundtracks-in-Concert.com
