Horner James (USA) 

       2004 - Troy  (58%)
       1995 - Braveheart  (64%)

James Horner has long been one of the most respected composers in film, winning three Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, five Oscar nominations and four Golden Globe nominations in the last two decades. His score for writer/director James Cameron's Titanic (SK 63213), which was released by Sony Classical in 1997, won Oscars for Best Song and Best Score, received two Golden Globe Awards, and is the biggest-selling film score album in history, having sold over 28 million copies worldwide. The musical sequel, Back to Titanic (SK 60691), was released by Sony Classical in 1998 and went on to sell more than 4 million copies worldwide. This recording featured a symphonic work for orchestra and chorus, built on themes from his Titanic score as well as additional music composed for Titanic that does not appear on the original soundtrack. Horner’s latest project for Sony Classical is the original soundtrack recording of his score for Iris (SK 89806) – a new film about the life of English novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch, starring Dame Judi Dench and Kate Winslet – featuring violinist Joshua Bell as soloist on the soundtrack. Horner’s most recent soundtrack recording on the label features his score for the World War II drama Enemy at the Gates (SK 89522).

In 2000, Sony Classical also released Horner’s soundtrack recordings for The Perfect Storm (SK 89282), featuring an end-title song written with and performed by John Mellencamp, the television production Freedom Road (SK 89147) and Bicentennial Man (SK 89038). In 1998, Sony Classical released Horner's soundtrack recordings for the films Deep Impact (SK 60690) and The Mask of Zorro (SK 60627). Prior to Titanic, the composer had best been known for his scores for Apollo 13, Braveheart, Legends of the Fall and Aliens, and the song "Somewhere Out There" from An American Tail, all of which have won him Academy Award nominations. He has also written scores for the films A Beautiful Mind, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Own, Ransom, Courage Under Fire, To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday and The Spitfire Grill.

The composer's early interest in avant-garde musical techniques helped define his personal style, which often blends traditional harmonies and a conventional orchestral palette with the texture of ethnic instruments and even electronic sounds. Film scoring became an obvious choice for Horner, though he brings to it the perspective of the classical composer and conductor. "Films speak to me right away," he commented. "The atmosphere, the overall mood dictates the kind of orchestra I will use.

Watching a film the first few times, I make a charcoal sketch; later I put the colors in." In recording his own film scores, Horner often creates his own orchestrations and prefers to conduct the orchestra directly to picture, instead of using click tracks or other mechanical timing devices.

Having reached audiences numbering in the millions with his symphonic film scores, the Los Angeles-born Horner has been called one of the most popular composers of classical music in the world today. He began writing for films in 1980, shortly after completing his doctorate in composition at UCLA, following earlier study at London's Royal Academy of Music and University of Southern California. Horner's first assignment was the scoring of a short film entitled The Drought for the American Film Institute, and it led to more work with AFI. He further developed his craft in the commercial arena at New World Pictures, under the aegis of low-budget producer Roger Corman. At New World Pictures he also forged important long-term relationships with two emerging young directors, Ron Howard and James Cameron. His contrasting scores for Brainstorm and 48 HRS. (which won him a Los Angeles Film Critics Association award) helped establish him as an important and versatile new film composer, just as the symphonic film score became popular in the wake of John Williams's music for the Star Wars films. Horner went on to write scores for such films as Casper, Clear and Present Danger, The Man Without a Face, Patriot Games, Sneakers, The Rocketeer, In Country, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, The Land Before Time, Willow, An American Tail, The Name of the Rose, Cocoon and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Source: http://www.james-horner.com/