Howard Shore (born 1946, Toronto) is a Canadian composer, conductor and orchestrator who has scored over 100 films. He is best known for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, for which he won three Academy Awards, four Grammys and two Golden Globes - work that critics have repeatedly called the most ambitious orchestral score in cinema history. Beyond Middle-earth, he has been a long-running creative partner to David Cronenberg (17 films since 1979) and Martin Scorsese (six films), and has composed concert works including the opera The Fly and a piano concerto for Lang Lang.
Shore's Lord of the Rings score reached its highest-ever position in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026, ranking #8 among all classical works - the top-ranked film score in the chart's history.
The Lord of the Rings score topped the Classic FM Movie Music Hall of Fame for the third consecutive year in August 2025.
Shore released The Shrouds soundtrack - his 17th film score collaboration with David Cronenberg - digitally on April 18, 2025, with a limited vinyl edition pressed on 140g Gravestone vinyl.
Shore appeared in conversation with David Cronenberg at the inaugural London Soundtrack Festival at Royal Festival Hall in March 2025.
A 25th-anniversary concert of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in Concert is scheduled for July 16-18, 2026 at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, featuring 238 musicians.
Mystery Ensemble performs Howard Shore's iconic Lord of the Rings soundtrack live at Vienna's Paulanerkirche — a cinematic music tribute in a stunning church setting.
An orchestra performs Howard Shore's complete film score to "The Lord of the Rings" during the screening in Vienna.
Peter Jackson's iconic film on the big screen accompanied by a live orchestra performing Howard Shore's legendary score - a spectacular evening at Olympiahalle München.