LOS ANGELES — German composer Hans Zimmer's music for films like “The Lion King,” “Gladiator,” and the “Dark Knight” trilogy, as well as “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two,” has created memorable movie moments for many years. This fall, Zimmer will perform his award-winning music live on stage.
His “Hans Zimmer Live” tour, which was a sell-out in Europe, will come to the U.S. and Canada this fall. This marks Zimmer's first performance in North America in seven years.
The last time Zimmer performed in North America was at the 2017 Coachella festival.
Speaking over Zoom from New York, Zimmer shared that he was motivated to perform after being hesitant to appear on stage for 40 years, due to advice from friends Johnny Marr of The Smiths and Pharrell Williams.
Marr and Williams told him, 'You have to look your audience in the eye. You can’t hide behind the screen forever. You know, you owe it to your, you know, audience.' After performing at Coachella, he realized, 'I can do this,' he said.
Reflecting on the recent European tour, Zimmer stated, 'We’re at the top of our game at the moment,' referring to his orchestra.
At “Hans Zimmer Live,” the setting is not traditional or classical, and there is no conductor, no sheet music for each musician, and no film clips from the referenced movies.
“I come from rock and roll and I believe in putting on a show,” he said. “People stay with us because we give them an experience which they’ve never had before… Life is hard. Life is tough these days. And people worked hard to go to pay for these tickets, so we better pull off a show that is absolutely worthy of them coming and seeing us.”
“Hans Zimmer Live” begins at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, Ga. on Sept. 6 and will visit 17 cities in the U.S. and Canada before ending at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia on Oct. 6.
The tour includes stops in Hollywood, Florida; Raleigh, North Carolina; New York; Baltimore; Boston; Montreal and Toronto; Minneapolis; Chicago; Fort Worth, Texas; Denver; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Oakland, California, and Seattle.
Zimmer mentioned that the audience will be diverse, with people of different generations and cultures attending the event.
In more ways than one: Zimmer’s orchestra is from Ukraine; “Two weeks after the invasion started, we managed to get about half of them out of Odessa,” he says. Lebo M, who sings “The Lion King” theme, was a political refugee from South Africa when Zimmer first met him. Pedro Eustache, his woodwind player, is from Venezuela, “and he thinks he can probably never go back home,” says Zimmer.
“I have this very, very international group of players and … part of what makes them such emotionally committed musicians is that they all have a story to tell you.”
“Hans Zimmer Live,” which has been recently rearranged, includes works from “Gladiator,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Dark Knight,” “Interstellar,” “The Lion King,” “The Last Samurai,” and “Dune.”
He said that each piece is linked to the process of making it, the teamwork, and the journey they went on. He wonders how they got to where they are and how they can make sure it never ends.
He explained that each movie is influenced by what is happening in the world around them, and each has been an amazing journey.
Zimmer's unique approach and arrangements should be considered the common thread connecting all of these diverse films and their scores. There is also a certain indescribable quality that makes a score effective and moving.
He stated that success in creating a score requires commitment, honesty, and avoiding sentimentality. He also highlighted the importance of selecting the right musicians for the performance.
Starting on March 22 at 10 am local time, tickets for “Hans Zimmer Live” can be purchased at www.hanszimmerlive.com.
