Michael Giacchino at 50 at the Royal Albert Hall

Last Friday, the Royal Albert Hall welcomed legendary composer Michael Giacchino for a one-off event celebration, as the artist turned 50. The evening was filled with his most memorable pieces from Hollywood movies including Star Trek, Spider-Man: Homecoming and War for the Planet of the Apes.

The highly anticipated concert was conducted by Ludwig Wicki and Giacchino himself, who led the Cinematic Sinfonia Orchestra in several pieces during the second half of the show. The Oscar, Grammy and BAFTA-winning composer was also accompanied by the greatest working directors nowadays, JJ Abrams, Pete Docter and Matt Reeves who, among others, presented the suites during the night, featuring some funny and tender anecdotes about how these came to be.

Almost every piece of music was mixed with a video montage from the original film, recreating great scenes. In this sense, one of the biggest highlights of the night was the score for War for the Planet of the Apes, presented by Matt Reeves and played by the magical English Chamber Choir. The story behind the main theme of the movie was even better. Reeves explained how, after listening to it for the first time, he was so moved by it, he just knew that was what the picture was asking for.

The performance of the Star Trek score was also set to be one of the most epic moments of the night, with the composer playing pieces from the whole trilogy while shots of the movie, including some sweet and sad ones featuring Anton Yelchin, were displayed on the front screen.

Adam Savage hosted the evening, improving the entertainment value of the concert and providing some good laughs too. We all got to know Giacchino better by the end, having enjoyed a wonderful and unique show full of music composed by a man who loves movies and has fun doing what he does best – bringing his talent and sensitivity to the world of film.

Maria Barrios
Photo: Andy Paradise/Royal Albert Hall

For further information and future events visit the Michael Giacchino website here.