Hans Zimmer: Behind the Music
Prolific Grammy-winning film composer scores with return to live stages
He may be the most well-known film composer of contemporary times and is practically a household name to moviegoers. Hans Zimmer is also one of the few among his peers to have performed music before live audiences let alone on a scale as dazzling as Hans Zimmer Live. From recent works such as his scores to director Denis Villenueve’s Dune films to music from the movie that rocketed him to the top of Hollywood’s A-list of aural artists, Zimmer’s live performances cover both a composer’s oeuvre and several eras of filmmaking.
How he finds time to work a tour in between projects may be a question he’ll answer during anecdotal regalements between songs. Zimmer’s enthusiasm is contagious, his personality a primary factor in his success. He works at a fast clip, has a knack for bringing the right people together and knows intuitively how to translate the essence of stories and characters into sound.
For the 2024-25 tour he made sure to recruit the Ukrainian Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra before armed conflict prevented them from participating. His Disruptive Collective has included colleagues such as Lebo M, whose incomparable vocals graced “Circle Of Life” from The Lion King, flautist Pedro Eustache and guitarist Nile Marr.
Marr’s father, Smith’s guitarist Johnny, and Pharrell Williams were among the influencers who inspired Zimmer to tour after he performed at Coachella in 2017. It was a natural next step for the German musician who was introduced to American audiences playing synthesizer in the first video to be broadcast on MTV.
While he didn’t perform on the recording of The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” he did work with them and made a name for himself in the studio. A pioneer in computerized recording, he developed his own ways of working with British filmmakers that caught the ear of director Barry Levinson. That led to the memorable marimbas of 1988’s Rain Man, an Academy Award and more invitations to work than he could handle alone for the rest of his life.
That work is represented in the current tour with suites from Wonder Woman and Man of Steel. Dead Can Dance fans will be ecstatic to learn Lisa Gerrard is a member of the Collective and will recreate her iconic wordless vocals from Gladiator. Zimmer’s extensive work with Christopher Nolan films yields The Dark Knight, Dunkirk, Inception and Interstellar for the live show.
Music from The Last Samurai, No Time to Die and Pirates of the Caribbean is also featured as part of the current Hans Zimmer Live tour, which was booked twice for Las Vegas including Saturday’s T-Mobile concert. It’s the last date of the North American leg of the tour for Zimmer, who was the subject of 2022 BBC documentary Hollywood Rebel.
Expect an emotional final bow, but don’t expect it’s the last time Zimmer will be seen in Las Vegas. A European tour is next, along with scores for more films and video games. Zimmer seems indefatigable, and by all appearances in the documentary he’s only getting started.