On October 20th, 2009, the World Soundtrack Academy announced the winners of the World Soundtrack Awards 2009, the closing event of the 36th Ghent International Film Festival. Among the big winners were ASCAP composer Nico Muhly, named Discovery of the Year for his score to The Reader. Film legend Marvin Hamlisch received the World Soundtrack Lifetime Achievement Award.
The World Soundtrack Awards opened with a moving tribute, arranged by Oscar-winning SACEM composer Gabriel Yared, to commemorate the recent passing of another great SACEM composer, three-time Oscar winner, Maurice Jarre. Jarre was the recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from both ASCAP and the Ghent festival.
After the presentation of the awards, SABAM composer Dirk Brossé (recently named Music Director of the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra) conducted the Brussels Philharmonic in a performance of music from several of Hamlisch's films, including Sophie's Choice, The Way We Were, Ice Castles and A Chorus Line. Hamlisch himself took the baton for several of the evening's most memorable pieces. Hamlisch is not only the first individual to have received three Academy Awards in the same year, but also has the rare distinction of being the recipient of a Grammy, Tony, Emmy and Pulitzer Prize.
Last year's Discovery of the Year composer, Marc Streitenfeld, also performed music from two recent Ridley Scott hits, American Gangster and Body of Lies, with the Brussels Philharmonic. In accordance with Ghent Film Festival tradition, this year's Discovery of the Year honoree Muhly will be back in 2010 to perform music from his films.
The evening before the awards ceremony, the Ghent International Film Festival presented a special concert by the Brussels Philharmonic under Brossé's baton. The concert featured music by JASRAC composer Shigeru Umebayashi. The program consisted of suites from many of his film scores, including House of Flying Daggers, Hannibal Rising and others.
Both the ceremony and the concert were attended by world famous composers and songwriters such as Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek (nominated for Best Original Score of the Year), Anna Chalon (nominated for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film), Jérôme Lemonnier (nominated for Discovery of the Year), Atli Örvarsson (nominated for Discovery of the Year), Cyril Morin and many others.
ASCAP congratulates its honored members and international affiliates:
Lifetime Achievement Award
Marvin Hamlisch
Discovery of the Year
Nico Muhly
The Reader
Public Choice Award
Carter Burwell
Twilight
SABAM Award for Best Young European Composer
Christopher Slaski (PRS)
