Hans Zimmer in New York, June 16, 2025. ANGELA WEISS / AFP
Film music was once confined to dark theaters, with composers just another name scrolling in the credits. Today, they perform in concert halls. The phenomenon is especially striking in the case of Hans Zimmer, who drew no fewer than 32,000 spectators to La Défense Arena on Friday, November 21. Demand is so high that he will return to Paris (Accor Arena) and Lyon in March 2026.
Born in Frankfurt and having lived in London and then Los Angeles, the keyboardist emerged from the 1980s new wave scene and began his irresistible Hollywood ascent with the soundtrack for Rain Man (1988). A bold combination of synthesizers and steel pans – the metallic drums from Trinidad and Tobago – defined his style: textures and rhythms. Having composed more than 150 film scores, Zimmer is most closely associated with Christopher Nolan (six collaborations) and franchises such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Dune. He holds such sway in Hollywood that he heads the film music division at DreamWorks Studios.
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