Rose and Jack saying goodbye on a floating door after a short but passionate love affair. Mel Gibson, as a Scottish war hero, screaming for freedom till the bitter end. Or Jake Sully setting his first steps on the wonderful planet of Pandora. These legendary moments of film history are anchored in our collective memory, together with the immersive music that made films like Titanic, Braveheart and Avatar excel beyond all expectations. James Horner, composer of these iconic scores, as well as many others, has truly redefined the meaning of film scoring.
Tonight, we honour Horner, who has left us too soon, not with elaborate speeches or abstract symbols, but with the art form he so truly loved: the art of film music. With this concert, the James Horner Tribute Concert, on the occasion of the 51st edition of Film Fest Gent, we take you on a musical journey along the milestones and highlights of Horner’s varied and compelling oeuvre. Conducted by maestro Dirk Brossé, Brussels Philharmonic will bring some of Horner’s most remarkable scores and songs alive. Soprano Charlotte Campion will perform what might be the most monumental song ever written for the big screen: the mesmerising My Heart Will Go On. We are
grateful and honoured that composer Simon Franglen, long-time collaborator and friend of Horner, has assisted us in compiling the concert’s programme. Together with Sara Horner and daughter Emily, he will join us tonight to pay tribute to the composer who touched our hearts.
I would like to welcome and thank all composers and orchestrators involved, all performers and partners who helped make the concert possible. Only with their support can we honour James Horner the way he deserves.
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Wim De Witte Programme Director
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JAMES HORNER TRIBUTE CONCERT
PROGRAMME
“The Ludlows” Legends of the Fall (1994)
“Ride of the Firemares” Krull (1983)
“And The Blind Shall See” Sneakers (1992)
“Distant Memories & Take Her to Sea, Mr. Murdoch” from Titanic (1997)
“My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic (1997)
Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by Dirk Brossé, hosted by Carlo Siau
ABOUT THE MUSIC
Iconic moments demand iconic music. The past four decades, James Horner has shaped our collective memory with his glorious scores for Hollywood classics like Titanic, Braveheart and Avatar. Performing the highlights of his remarkable career, Brussels Philharmonic will honour the American composer, who passed away in 2015. He left behind a musical legacy that transcends generations and continues to inspire. Tonight the scores of no less than ten films will be brought to life. Besides his most acclaimed soundtracks for blockbusters such as Braveheart, Legends of the Fall, Avatar and Titanic, the tribute concerts highlights a selection of his earlier scores for Krull, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Aliens as well as legendary themes from The Rocketeer, Sneakers and A Beautiful Mind.
SIMON FRANGLEN
Tonight’s concert is put together with the help of Horner’s longtime colleague and friend Simon Franglen, who has extensively worked with the composer on some of his
most memorable scores. Among others, he assisted on the music for the Avatar franchise, Titanic and The Amazing SpiderMan. Following the passing of his mentor, Franglen completed the score for The Magnificent Seven, which earned him an ASCAP Award. Inheriting the music universe of the Avatar-franchise, Franglen composed the score for Avatar: The Way of Water, for which he won the Discovery of the Year Award at the 2023 World Soundtrack Awards.
Besides his collaborations with Horner, Franglen has worked as a musician and producer for artists like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Quincy Jones, and Celine Dion, resulting in dozens of multi-platinum albums and singles. He has also contributed to iconic film scores such as Howard Shore’s score to David Fincher’s Se7en and David Cronenberg’s Crash. Flourishing in various branches of the film music industry, he has produced the vocals for Moulin Rouge and worked as a music programmer on the Academy Award nominated score for Bodyguards.
JAMES HORNER
Chances are high that, whether you know it or not, James Horner has touched your heart and shaped your vision on the unique power of music in film. His mesmerising scores and songs have immortalised some of the most iconic films of the past decades. With his music for Titanic, Braveheart and Avatar, among others, he has deepened the emotional landscape of the films and made a long lasting impression on the art of film music.
Born in L.A. in 1953, Horner was surrounded by classical music and started playing the piano at the age of five. At only ten years old, inspired by a performance of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, he decided to become a composer. Horner moved to London to study at the Royal College of Music before transferring to the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre, where he found a mentor in the Hungarian-Austrian composer György Ligeti. With Ligeti, Horner studied Renaissance music, which would greatly influence his later work. Returning to California in the 1970s, Horner obtained a graduate degree in Music and a PhD in Music Theory and Composition at UCLA. During his college years, he composed multiple concert pieces (Conversations, Spectral Shimmers).
His pivot to film music happened by chance. In 1978, Horner was offered the opportunity to write music for student films at the American Film Institute (AFI). Witnessing his music come to life on the big screen made him fall in love with the medium.
His fascination with the narrative potential of music finally found its perfect match in the world of film. His (commercial) breakthrough came a few years later when he composed the soundtrack for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in 1982.
In the subsequent years, Horner composed soundtracks for the films of Ron Howard (Cocoon, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind), James Cameron (Aliens, Titanic, Avatar), JeanJacques Annaud (The Name of the Rose, Enemy at the Gates, Black Gold, Wolf Totem) and Martin Campbell (The Mask of Zorro, The Legend of Zorro, Beyond Borders). In 1997, Horner was awarded two Academy Awards, for Best Original Score and Best Original Song, for his work on Titanic and its accompanying song “My Heart Will Go On”. Additionally, he won three Grammy Awards, bringing his total wins to six, besides fourteen nominations.
In the summer of 2015, Horner died unexpectedly. He is survived by his widow Sara Horner and two daughters, as well as an immense collection of musical monuments.
“James Horner was one of the icons of film music, a man who created some of the most memorable and emotional scores we have ever heard. I’m very much looking forward to this wonderful concert to celebrate my friend’s work.”
— Simon Franglen
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Vlaanderen, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra
BRUSSELS PHILHARMONIC
“The world needs symphonic music. And symphonic music needs the world.”
That is the firm belief of the Brussels Philharmonic. As a symphony orchestra founded in 1935 under the auspices of the Belgian public broadcaster, unveiling the symphonic world as best we can is deep in our DNA. By innovating while maintaining full respect for the value of the past, we keep the symphonic music of the past, present and future relevant and inspiring. We do this from the historic Studio 4 at Flagey in Brussels, together with our music director Kazushi Ono: he shares our open and adventurous spirit and our rock-solid belief in the need for crossfertilization between art, life and society.
The vision of Kazushi Ono, an experienced conductor whose reputation crosses continents, cultures and genres, overlaps in so many ways with that of the orchestra: the authenticity with which the great
repertoire is kept alive, the permanent quest for innovation and evolution, the commitment to giving the music of today and tomorrow a central role, and the passion for sharing the love of symphonic music widely and generously.
That sharing takes place first and foremost in our home port at Flagey, where the orchestra rehearses, performs and throws open the doors to its activities, as well as on the major stages and at festivals in Flanders. The orchestra’s international reputation comes to the fore in its specialisation in recording soundtracks (including the Oscar-winning music for The Artist), the many successful recordings for labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, and the ambitious projects on prestigious stages around the world (Carnegie Hall, New York, Philharmonie de Paris, Musikverein Wien, Grosses Festspielhaus Salzburg, Cadogan Hall, London).
OTTO DEROLEZ
Otto Derolez has been the concertmaster of Brussels Philharmonic since 1999. He is considered one of the leading violinists of Belgium, and as of 2012 been Faculty Professor at YOA Orchestra of the Americas, coaching young musicians all over the world. Otto made his debut with the Brussels Philharmonic in 1999, with Richard Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben. With this orchestra he has performed the world premières of violin concertos by Jeroen d’Hoe and Michel Tabachnik, both dedicated to Otto Derolez. His performance of John Williams’ Violin Concerto has been highly acclaimed, as well as the Alban Berg Violin Concerto which he performed with Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Carlos Kalmar.
Otto Derolez studied at the Royal Conservatories of Ghent and Brussels, with professors such as Rudolf Werthen, Keti Sbestyen and Philippe Hirschhorn. He graduated from the Internationale Musikakademie für Solisten (IMAS)
in Wolfenbüttel (Germany) under the guidance of André Gertler. He also received support and guidance from Yfrah Neaman.
As a soloist, Otto has performed in prestigious concert halls all over the world, including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Festival Hall in Osaka, Cité de la Musique in Paris, just to name a few. An active chamber musician, he has been a member of the Prometheus Ensemble since 1992. With this ensemble he recorded Schubert’s Octet and Trout Quintet, Stravinsky’s l’Histoire du Soldat, Schoenberg’s First Chamber Symphony and Transfigured Night.
CHARLOTTE CAMPION
Charlotte Campion graduated from the Brussels Conservatory, in the Musical department. She has performed in, among others, Assepoester, het tamelijk ware verhaal (Cinderella), The Sound of Music (Maria), Rent (Maureen), Grease (Rizzo), The Last 5 Years (Cathy), Sweeney Todd (Johanna), Bonnie & Clyde (Bonnie), Snow White (The Mirror), The Little Mermaid, Vergeet Barbara and Red Star Line. As a child, she was on stage with Tintin, le temple du soleil (Fleur) and The Sound of Music (Gretl & Martha).
Charlotte’s voice can be heard in several films and series such as Wish (Asha), The Lion King (Nala), Ice age: The adventures of Buck Wild (Zee), Encanto (Dolores), 100% Wolf, The Power Rangers, The Lego Movie 2, Zak Storm, Coco, Wreck-it Ralph 2, The Loud House… She is the singing voice of Merel in the international version of #LikeMe, as well as in Olly Wannebe’s song Superstar and recorded the Saint Nicholas songs for Throwback Thursday at the Sportpaleis.
HENDRIK PELLENS
After finishing his studies at the conservatories of Ghent and Enschede (NL), Hendrik Pellens has been a permanent saxophonist with the Koninklijke Muziekkapel van de Gidsen since 2001. Since 2020, he has also been a permanent member of the contemporary collective BL!NDMAN [SAX].
As a freelance saxophonist, he has worked with various orchestras and ensembles including Brussels Philharmonic, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and Wim Mertens.
He also teaches saxophone at the Municipal Academy of Music and Word in Ghent. In the lighter genre, he regularly collaborates with various DJs.
MUSICIANS
Dirk Brossé, conductor
Otto Derolez, concertmaster & soloist (violin)
VIOLIN 1
Olivia Bergeot
Annelies Broeckhoven
Cristina Constantinescu
Gabriele Filiberto Galleri
David Alejandro Palominos Cea
Justine Rigutto
Elizaveta Rybentseva
Anton Skakun
Alissa Vaitsner
Veerle Van Roosbroeck
Gillis Veldeman
VIOLIN 2
Mari Hagiwara (1)
Samuel Nemtanu (1)
Aline Janeczek
Mireille Kovac
Rui Edgar Maia Gomes
Eléonore Malaboeuf
Sayoko Mundy
Naoko Ogura
Stefanie Van Backlé
Pierre Vopat
VIOLA
Mihai Cocea (1)
Yin-Ying Tseng (1)
Philippe Allard
Marina Barskaya
Thi Ngoc Phung Ha
Hélène Koerver
Agnieszka Kosakowska
Patricia Van Reusel
CELLO
Kristaps Bergs (1)
Karin Broeckhove
Julius Clément
Maria de Ferreira Nabeiro
Sophie Jomard
David Poskin
DOUBLE BASS
José Vilaplana Herruzo (1)
Simon Luce (2)
Luzia Correia Rendeiro
Vieira
Daniele Giampaolo
FLUTE
Lieve Schuermans (1)
Nil Tena Puyo (2)
Célestine Wacquez
OBOE
Joris Van den Hauwe (1)
Lode Cartrysse (2)
Emily Ross
CLARINET
Anne Boeykens (1)
Danny Corstjens (2)
Midori Mori (2)
BASSOON
Karsten Przybyl (1)
Jonas Coomans (2)
Alexander Kuksa
HORN
Hans van der Zanden (1)
Mieke Ailliet (2)
Elisabeth Oltra Sangenaro (2)
Reindert Geirnaert
Luc van den Hove
Frans van Gorsel
TRUMPET
Carmen Estibaliz Collado Castillo (1)
Ward Hoornaert (1)
Diego Hernandez Torres
Luc Sirjacques
TROMBONE
William Foster (2)
Tim Van Medegael (2)
Gert-Jan Schoup
TUBA
Jean Xhonneux (2)
TIMPANI
Gert D’haese (1)
PERCUSSION
Jonathan Beyers (2)
Stijn Schoofs (2)
Lucas Messler
Gerrit Nulens
Bart Rosseel
HARP
Eline Groslot (2)
KEYBOARDS
Erik Brabants (2)
Anastasia Goldberg (2)
SAXOPHONE
Hendrik Pellens (2)
GLOSSARY
(1) principal (2) soloist
PARTNERS
THESE CONCERTS ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY
CREDITS
Produced by
Film Fest Gent
In collaboration with Brussels Philharmonic
Composer
James Horner
Orchestra
Brussels Philharmonic
Conductor & Music Director
Film Fest Gent
Dirk Brossé
Host
Carlo Siau
Programming
Dirk Brossé, Music Director
Wim De Witte, Programme Director
Sophie Joos, Music Projects Coordinator
Patrick Duynslaegher, Consultant
Thomas Van Parys, Consultant
Film Fest Gent
Marijke Vandebuerie, General Manager
Wim De Witte, Programme Director
Sophie Joos, Music Projects Coordinator
Katrien Destuyver, Concert Producer
Karyna Khokhlova, Music Projects Intern
Mathijs Poppe, Video Editor
Dries Abelshausen, Motion Graphics
Tuur Mattheeuws, Motion Graphics
Kim Verthé, Press & Communication
Sven Hollebeke, Communication & Website
Hanne Schelstraete, Communication & Website, Emma Steurs, Guest Service, Isabel Roemer, Guest Service,
Lien Puttemans, Ticketing
Jessica Bonte, Partnership & PR
Michiel Philippaerts, Programmer
Nathalie Decock, Management Assistant
Brussels Philharmonic
Gunther Broucke, General Manager
Tom Pipeleers, Artistic Administrator
Judith Van Eeckhout, Artistic Administrator
Thomas Geurts, Head of Stage Management
Emma Touchot, Casting
Pieterjan Hermans, Librarian
Céline Krick, Librarian Assistant
Walt Bladt, Stagehand
Claudio Porru, Stagehand
Muziekcentrum de Bijloke
Natan Rosseel
Wim Clapdorp
Katrien Van Gysegem
Xavier Lecompte
Björn Van Severenz
Gerben Bracke
Erian Van Hecke
Video & Stage Direction
Andries Vangeel, Director
Eva Hendriks, Assistant Director
Birger Embrechts, Score Advisor
Jeroen Buyse, Stage Manager
Styling World Soundtrack Awards
Studio BigFish
Programme Booklet
Marijke Vandebuerie, Publisher
Wim De Witte, Editor-in-Chief
Hanne Schelstraete, Editor
Texts Booklet
Hanne Schelstraete
Design, Motion Graphics & Prepress Mutant™
Special Thanks
Nikiforos Chrysoloras, Pieter Corten, Jana Dejonghe, Alexander
Duca De Tey, Editions Mario Bois, Tim Horemans, Simon Franglen, Sara Horner, JKMS Library
Sadrayimousavi and the entire Film Fest Gent team. Our partners, all members of the World Soundtrack Academy and and all contributors for their enthusiasm and expertise
This production was created with the support of the Tax Shelter measure of the Belgian Federal Government through Beside Tax Shelter.
