SPARTACUS AT THE BOWL!

Date:  8/27/2010

Celebrations of Alex North's centenary reach the Hollywood Bowl for special performances these next two weekends. First up, on Friday, August 27 and Saturday, August 28, John Williams will concert Forest Meeting and Main Title from SPARTACUS with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. The exciting program will also include music by Franz Waxman, Bernard Herrmann and, of course, Mr. Williams himself! Don't miss it!

SPARTACUS IN CONCERT!

Date:  8/14/2010

After thrilling performances of Alex North's SPARTACUS in both Úbeda and Tenerife, conducted by Arturo Díez Boscovich and Diego Navarro respectively, none other than John Williams picks up the baton to lead the next performance of North's masterpiece with the Boston Pops Orchestra at Tanglewood on Saturday, August 14. SPARTACUS will again hit the stage, with John Williams conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, at the Hollywood Bowl on August 27 and 28. Listen to John Williams discuss Alex North and the SPARTACUS score in the documentary Conversations on Alex North's SPARTACUS: The Celebration of a Masterpiece.

WHAT A MONTH! THE DAY HAS ARRIVED!

Date:  7/29/2010

What a month this has been! I have never had so much fun, (and been kept so busy), in Spain! The Fimucité closing night gala tributes to Alex North and John Williams were absolutely spectacular. And how lucky I was to be in Spain for the country’s triumphant and premiere World Cup victory! Congratulations Spain! And then there was Úbeda – a magical city that embraces film music like no other and one that was this year lit by the World Cup afterglow as the celebrations continued. The Alex North centenary commemorations continued there in historic performances by old friends and new ones. It was such a joy to spend these days with fans who shared their excitement over the imminent arrival of Spartacus. And what better way to return to Los Angeles than to be met today with that very arrival. Spartacus is here! SPARTACUS IS HERE! - Robert Townson

SPARTACUS IN VARIETY!

Date:  7/2/2010

Coverage of Varese Sarabande's upcoming release of Alex North's SPARTACUS is covered in today's Variety.

SPARTACUS LIVE SUMMER TOUR!

Date:  6/30/2010

The summer celebrations of Alex North’s 100th birthday are about to begin! Úbeda, Spain will present a festival tribute to Alex North and his music, including a live performance of four cues from Spartacus (Forest Meeting, Poem, Camp At Night and Main Title) with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Malaga, conducted by Arturo Díez Boscovich. Additional live performances of the Spartacus Love Theme and many other pieces by Alex North will take place over the four days. The 6th International Film Music Festival of Úbeda (July 15-18) will also host the world premiere screening of the film Conversations on Alex North’s Spartacus: The Celebration Of A Masterpiece, hosted by Robert Townson, on July 16. The City of Úbeda will hold a 50th anniversary outdoor screening of Spartacus on an ancient wall on the festival’s final night. Join the festivities! Celebrate film music and Alex North … in Úbeda! Another grand tribute to North will take place in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Diego Navarro will conduct the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra in the premiere of a new concert suite of Alex North’s music that includes Viva Zapata!, The Rose Tattoo, A Streetcar Named Desire and Spartacus! Along with the concert tribute, hosted by Robert Townson, Fimucité 4 (July 5 - 10) will stage additional events to honor North throughout the festival! Join us!

SPARTACUS INFO!

Date:  6/29/2010

Robert Townson addresses some of the questions we have received about SPARTACUS in a note available here. Also, a video of Mark Isham preparing to record his own recording of the Spartacus Love Theme is now available here. Alex North's SPARTACUS announced at The Digital Bits.

IT'S COMING!

Date:  6/15/2010

Finally! Robert Townson's 1,000th album will be announced on June 28. Never has there been as elaborate a production of a single film score in all of film music history. This single, very special CD Club announcement will take place at the usual time.

KRAKOW ANNOUNCES TOWNSON!

Date:  5/15/2010

The City of Krakow has announced Robert Townson as a guest of their 3rd Film Music Festival (May 20 – 22, 2010). Composer Tan Dun and pianist Leszek Mozdzer will appear in concert on May 20. Composer Shigeru Umebayashi will be in attendance for a concert of his music on the 21st and Howard Shore will attend a concert of his score for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, to conclude the festival, on May 22.

A LOST FAREWELL!

Date:  5/8/2010

Composer Michael Giacchino saw six historic years of work on the ABC series LOST come to an end with one final set of recording sessions on May 7, 2010 on the Warner Bros. scoring stage in Burbank. Giacchino was joined by LOST producers Damon Lindelof, Carlton Cuse and Bryan Burk, actress Evangeline Lilly, Varèse Sarabande’s Robert Townson and the entire LOST orchestra and recording team, for an emotional farewell to the landmark show that will broadcast its final episode on May 23. Varèse Sarabande’s LOST: Season 5 album has just been released. CONGRATULATIONS MICHAEL!

GRUSIN IN UBEDA!

Date:  5/1/2010

The historic city of Úbeda, Spain, featuring its glorious showcase of magnificent Renaissance architecture, is again preparing to host its famous and annual film music celebration, surrounded by the spectacular olive groves of Andalucía. As perfect a setting as it is unlikely for this magical ancient city to provide the meeting place for the film music world to gather each summer, this year’s City of Úbeda International Film Music Festival celebrates its own sixth anniversary and will pay special tribute to Alex North, to commemorate what would have been the legendary composer’s 100th birthday! New guests this year include renowned film composer and jazz musician Dave Grusin (On Golden Pond, The Goonies), Randy Edelman (Dragonheart, The Mummy 3), Nathan Barr (True Blood, Hostel), Christopher Lennertz (Alvin and the Chipmunks, Medal of Honor: Rising Sun) and singer Lisbeth Scott (Munich, The Passion of the Christ). The Festival is organized by the City Council of Úbeda and the BSO Spirit Society. Composer Michael Giacchino is this year's Honorary President, and he will be joined by Patrick Doyle as the Festival's Patron and Robert Townson as the Festival's Artistic Director. The event has become one of the world's most important gathering places for composers and film music enthusiasts around the globe. Having hosted the legendary likes of Basil Poledouris, Carol Goldsmith, David Arnold, Roque Baños, Bruce Broughton, Sean Callery, Don Davis, John Debney, Patrick Doyle, John Frizzell, Alberto Iglesias, Joel McNeely, John Powell, John Scott, Brian Tyler, Colette Delerue, Michael Giacchino, Philippe Rombi, Christopher Young, Claudio Simonetti and so many others, this year’s festival promises to be the best yet! Four days of music and celebration will begin July 14, 2010 in Úbeda! Don’t miss this annual gathering that is also a once in a lifetime experience, created by film music fans, for film fans. Hope to see you in Úbeda!

AYS SALUTES GOLDSMITH!

Date:  4/25/2010

The Goldsmith Project II: The Middle Years (1971-1982) Sunday, May 2 Royce Hall, UCLA 4:00 pm Symposium Jon Burlingame, host Charles Fox, Kenny Hall, Robert Townson, Mike Matessino David Newman, conductor Goldsmith: The Red Pony Suite 7:00 pm Performance Alexander Treger, music director David Newman, guest conductor Jon Burlingame, host The Angeles Chorale The first half of the concert, conducted by Music Director Alexander Treger, features Goldsmith's Music for Orchestra and The Tender Land Suite by Copland. Guest conductor David Newman, conducts some of Goldsmith's scores for film and TV: QB Vll with chorus Papillon Suite Alien final scene live with film The Omen Suite with chorus The Final Conflict with chorus Visit AYS for details. David Newman discuses the concert here.

TOWNSON AT UNDERSCORES!

Date:  4/13/2010

With the 2010 edition of the Úbeda International Film Music Festival fast approaching, the French film music site Underscores has now published their interview with Robert Townson, conducted in Úbeda, at last year's festival.

STAR TREK GRAMMY NOMINATION!

Date:  12/3/2009

Varèse Sarabande Records congratulates composer Michael Giacchino, director J.J. Abrams, Bad Robot and Paramount Pictures on the Grammy Awards nomination for the Star Trek soundtrack album.

A MEGA-iTUNES UPLOAD!

Date:  11/5/2009

In recent weeks we have been replenishing the Varèse catalog available on iTunes, which had been so decimated in their conversion to iTunes Plus. Many hundreds of titles are now available, including a selection of soundtracks which have been unavailable for years. More titles will continue to be added.

FIMUCITE 3 SALUTES GOLDSMITH!

Date:  8/13/2009

Fimucité 3, the film music festival located on Tenerife, in the Canary Islands celebrated what would have been the 80th birthday of the legendary Jerry Goldsmith with a gala concert on July 25th. Conductors Diego Navarro and Mark Snow stepped in to cover for the ailing Joel McNeely and led an extraordinary concert which premiered an extended suite from Alien and a special encore of The Final Conflict, along with such classics as Planet of The Apes, Gremlins and The Omen. Varèse Sarabande’s Robert Townson, the concert’s co-producer and host was presented with a special Fimucité Award for his efforts and dedication to the festival. Fimucité's Honor Award was given in the name of Jerry Goldsmith and accepted by Carol Goldsmith. Awards also went to Joel McNeely (accepted by Townson) and Mark Snow. With four standing ovations, the concert was a great success! Further information on the festival is featured in Variety.

JULIAN BRATOLYUBOV (1931 – 2009)

Date:  8/11/2009

Film music has legends behind the scenes as well as the composers who write the scores. Julian Bratolyubov was one of those legends who sadly passed away on Friday, June 26, 2009. Julian was Universal Pictures’s longtime music copyist and a valuable part of Thomas Newman’s music team. Julian also worked often with Danny Elfman, Marco Beltrami and Randy Edelman. Julian was head of the music preparation team for many of Varese Sarabande’s recordings with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra including The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, The Trouble With Harry, Out of Africa, Somewhere In Time, Titanic and Romeo and Juliet. Julian will be greatly missed.

A GOLDSMITH ENCORE ON CINEMAGIC!

Date:  7/10/2009

Joining the festivities of the Fimucité Festival in Tenerife in commemoration what would have been the 80th birthday of the legendary Jerry Goldsmith, and marking the fifth anniversary of his passing, on July 21, Varèse Sarabande Records and Sirius/XM’s Cinemagic present an encore presentation of their weeklong tribute. Special guest host Robert Townson hosted this 35-hour show, originally broadcast in February 2009, to remember and honor the life and work of one of Hollywood’s greatest film composers of all time …Jerry Goldsmith. Beginning on Monday, July 20 at noon EST/9:00 am PST this very special celebration will continue each day at the same time. Once again, as a grand finale, all five programs will be run consecutively, all weekend long, beginning Saturday, July 25 at midnight EST / 9:00 pm (on Friday) PST. Jerry Goldsmith passed away on July 21, 2004 and he will be missed forever. Join us all week long to remember in music one of the greatest composers to ever write for film. Jerry Goldsmith’s 80th Birthday Celebration will be available to all Sirius/XM Radio subscribers on Cinemagic, channel 76. Sirius/XM’s CINEMAGIC is also available online to subscribers and as a free, three-day trial for non-subscribers. Direct TV subscribers can also access Sirius/XM’s Cinemagic on channel 822. July 20 – Important Director Relationships – Music For Television (7 hours) July 21 – Science Fiction and Fantasy – Westerns (7 hours) July 22 – Horror – Mystery and Thrillers (6 hours) July 23 – War – Action/Adventure (8 hours) July 24 – Drama/Comedy/Animation – Encores (7 hours) July 25 – Jerry Goldsmith 80th Birthday Celebration Marathon (24 hours) July 26 – Jerry Goldsmith 80th Birthday Celebration Marathon (24 hours) July 27 – Jerry Goldsmith 80th Birthday Celebration Marathon (22 hours)

GOLDSMITH’S 80th IN TENERIFE!

Date:  6/19/2009

Fimucité 3, the spectacular film music festival which will run July 20 – 26 on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, will stage a historic gala on July 25. This concert will celebrate not only the 30th Anniversary of Ridley Scott’s classic film Alien and the utterly brilliant score by Jerry Goldsmith, but will go on to present a not-to-be-missed 80th birthday celebration and tribute to Goldsmith and his miraculous and legendary career. Co-produced and hosted by Varèse Sarabande’s Robert Townson, the concert will feature Festival Director Diego Navarro conducting the Tenerife Film Orchestra and Choir in music from the entire Alien saga, and the great film composer and maestro Joel McNeely conducting a magnificent collection of Jerry Goldsmith’s classic scores for science fiction and horror films. Star Trek: First Contact, Planet of the Apes, Poltergeist, and Gremlins are just a few of the scores planned. Choir Master Cristina Farrais will join McNeely in performances of the utterly breathtaking The Mission from The Sum of All Fears as well as the full concert suite of Goldsmith’s Academy-Award winning score for The Omen! Fimucité 3 is proud to honor and remember the great Jerry Goldsmith on the fifth anniversary of his passing. Also in concert at Fimucité 3 will be Academy-Award winning composer Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (Finding Neverland), John Ottman (Valkyrie), Mark Snow (X-Files) and Clint Mansell (The Fountain). Join us!!

A NEW SERIES ON VARESE SARABANDE!

Date:  5/18/2009

In an age when more and more releases are being made available as “download only,” we are going to try and stay a little old-fashioned by standing by the good old CD. While our regular releases have now long been made available both on CD and as downloads, we have released just a few iTunes-only titles. Soundtracks for films with more limited distribution have a hard time finding an audience in cities where the film itself is not shown. Since more and more of our favorite composers are scoring films that fall into this category, we thought it was time to start a new series of releases that is kind of a hybrid between our regular releases and our CD Club. These titles will be made available digitally at iTunes and Amazon, but we will also produce a limited number of CDs to be sold from our own web site. Hopefully this will provide the best option for fans of the composers and allow scores that might otherwise have fallen by the wayside to be added to the collection of those who want them, in the format that suits them best. We anticipate this to be a sporadic series, not a prolific one, and we intend to launch it with two releases next month.

STAR TREK SOUNDTRACK SOARS!

Date:  5/9/2009

Varèse Sarabande congratulates composer Michael Giacchino, Paramount Pictures, Bad Robot Productions and director J.J. Abrams on the enormously successful launch of our STAR TREK soundtrack, the #1 soundtrack and #1 album in all of music at iTunes! We also thank all of the fans who joined us at Best Buy in Los Angeles on Tuesday night and hope that everyone is out enjoying this thrilling new STAR TREK adventure this weekend!

MAURICE JARRE (1924 - 2009)

Date:  3/29/2009

Varèse Sarabande Records is sad to report the passing of our old friend and legendary film composer Maurice Jarre. Jarre's list of classics includes Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, Is Paris Burning?, Witness, The Year of Living Dangerously, Ghost and Dead Poet's Society. Maurice Jarre had been part of Varèse Sarabande since our earliest days and we will miss him greatly. Maurice Jarre was 84.

EPIC GOLDSMITH RADIO CELEBRATION!!

Date:  2/1/2009

Varèse Sarabande Records and Sirius/XM’s Cinemagic launch a weeklong, 80th birthday celebration remembering and honoring the life and work of one of Hollywood’s greatest film composers of all time …Jerry Goldsmith. Special guest host Robert Townson, who worked extensively with Goldsmith on 80 of his albums, will guide listeners on an extensive tour of the legendary composer’s extraordinary and enormous career. From such classics as Patton, The Omen, Star Trek and Chinatown to some obscure gems that will be a discovery for almost everyone, over 150 scores will be featured over the course of five, daily, six and seven-hour shows. Beginning on Monday, February 9 at 4:00 pm EST/1:00 pm PST this very special celebration will continue each day at the same time. As a grand finale, all five programs will be run consecutively, all weekend long, beginning Saturday, February 14 at 12:01am EST. Tuesday, February 10 would have been Jerry Goldsmith’s 80th birthday. Join us all week long to remember in music one of the greatest composers to ever write for film. Jerry Goldsmith’s 80th Birthday Celebration will be available to all Sirius/XM Radio subscribers on Cinemagic, channel 76. Sirius/XM’s CINEMAGIC is also available online to subscribers and as a free, three-day trial for non-subscribers. Direct TV subscribers can also access Sirius/XM’s Cinemagic on channel 822. February 9 – Important Director Relationships – Music For Television (7 hours) February 10 – Science Fiction and Fantasy – Westerns (7 hours) February 11 – Horror – Mystery and Thrillers (6 hours) February 12 – War – Action/Adventure (8 hours) February 13 – Drama/Comedy/Animation – Encores (7 hours) February 14 – Jerry Goldsmith 80th Birthday Celebration Marathon (24 hours) February 15 – Jerry Goldsmith 80th Birthday Celebration Marathon (24 hours) Extra day added! - February 16 – Jerry Goldsmith 80th Birthday Celebration Marathon (22 hours)

"TOWNSON'S WORLD" AT FSM ONLINE!

Date:  11/24/2008

The concluding two chapters, of Film Score Monthly's 4-month, 11-part interview with Robert Townson are featured in the latest edition of FSM Online. "Townson's World" was produced by Tim Curran & Saul Pincus and was directed by Saul Pincus.

SUPERCALICONGRATULATIONS!

Date:  11/20/2008

Legendary composers Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman were honored at the White House on Monday with "The 2008 National Medal of Arts to the Sherman Brothers, for unforgettable songs and optimistic lyrics that have brought magic to the screen and stage. The Sherman Brothers' music has helped bring joy to millions." Varèse Sarabande congratulates these two extraordinary talents!

ÚBEDA AWARDED!

Date:  11/18/2008

The Spanish-based Úbeda International Film Music Festival, under the artistic direction of Varèse Sarabande's Robert Townson, has been laureated in Paris with the European Film Music Days Trophy for "its outstanding, passionate and sustained contribution to the promotion of film music". Launched on the occasion of Centenary of Film Music, the distinction has been granted by the UCFM (Union of French Film Music Composers) and the FFACE (Federation of Film and Audiovisual Composers of Europe) in acknowledgment of the work carried out in support of film music by distinguished representatives of various branches in the film industry. Other winners in this year's edition include Academy Award-winning composer Ennio Morricone, Ivor Novello-winning composer John Powell, as well as Academy Award nominees Patrick Doyle and renowned French director Régis Wagnier. This has been the first time a festival honoring film music has received this award. Now in its fifth year, the Úbeda Film Music Festival has been host to over 100 composers from all over the world including: Basil Poledouris, John Debney, John Frizzell, Patrick Doyle, Bruno Coulais, Alberto Iglesias, David Arnold, John Ottman, Bruce Broughton, John Scott, Ángel Illaramendi, John Powell, Fernando Velázquez, Brian Tyler, Roque Baños, Joel McNeely and many others. For more information, visit the official website.

TOWNSON ON SUNSET!

Date:  11/16/2008

Varèse Sarabande producer Robert Townson discusses his recording of Franz Waxman's classic score for Sunset Boulevard in the featurette Recording Sunset Boulevard on the new Paramount Pictures Century Collection DVD. Billy Wilder's 1950 classic is now available in this deluxe, 2 DVD set.

EARLY GOLDSMITH ... IN CONCERT!

Date:  11/11/2008

The American Youth Symphony, in conjunction with The Film Music Society, will launch a three-year, multi-disciplinary project celebrating the music of Jerry Goldsmith with a symposium and concert on Dec. 7 at Royce Hall on the campus of the University of California at Los Angeles. Both events are free of charge. For the Dec. 7 concert (7 p.m.), Oscar-nominated composer David Newman, president of both the AYS and FMS, will conduct newly assembled suites from Goldsmith's original, Oscar-nominated scores for A Patch of Blue, The Sand Pebbles and Patton, along with excerpts from Planet of the Apes and The Blue Max that Goldsmith himself arranged for concert performance. In addition, Newman will – as part of an afternoon symposium on Goldsmith's early career – conduct, live to film, a complete performance of one of the composer's most famous television scores: His music for "The Invaders" episode of The Twilight Zone. The afternoon symposium, sponsored by The Film Music Society, will be moderated by journalist and film-music historian Jon Burlingame. Featured panelists will be composer Robert Drasnin, who worked on the original Twilight Zone and who knew Goldsmith well; Marc Scott Zicree, author of The Twilight Zone Companion, the definitive history of the show; Robert Townson, producer for the Varèse Sarabande record label, who worked extensively with Goldsmith; Tommy Morgan, who played harmonica for Goldsmith on Twilight Zone and who also composed for the series; and Michael Lloyd, a film composer and Goldsmith expert. The 25-minute, live-to-film performance of Goldsmith's score for "The Invaders" by members of the AYS will be part of the two-hour symposium, beginning at 2 p.m., also in Royce Hall. Clips from Goldsmith's other work for the Rod Serling series will also be featured. For more information visit The Film Music Society.

NEWS FLASH ... OF GENIUS!

Date:  9/27/2008

Varèse Sarabande producer Robert Townson and composer Aaron Zigman paid a visit to Fox’s Newman Scoring Stage on Friday (Sept. 26) to record a very special bonus track for Zigman’s upcoming Flash of Genius soundtrack. Zigman’s octet Vis Vitae was recorded with an all-star ensemble of some of Los Angeles’ finest musicians. Aaron Zigman conducted Los Angeles Philharmonic Principal Concertmaster Martin Chalifour (violin), Principal Viola Carrie Dennis, and Assistant Principal Cellist Ben Hong, along with Robert Thies (piano), Susan Greenberg (Flute), Phil Ayling (oboe), Don Foster (clarinet) and Judy Farmer (Bassoon). Aaron Zigman’s Flash of Genius soundtrack will be in stores on November 4.

GOLDSPIRIT AWARD WINNERS!

Date:  8/10/2008

The Fourth International Film Music Conference "City of Úbeda" was, once again, an enormous success and a wonderful experience for all who attended. Along with all of the fun and music that were enjoyed there was the serious business of presenting the GoldSpirit Awards for excellence in film music over the preceding year. Congratulations to the winners! • Film Score of the Year "Ratatouille" (Michael Giacchino) • Composer of the Year Michael Giacchino • Best Original Score for a Spanish Feature Film "Las Trece Rosas" (Roque Banos) • Spanish Composer of the Year Roque Banos • Best Original Score for a Horror/Thriller Feature Film "I Am Legend" (James Newton Howard) • Best Original Score for a Dramatic Feature Film "Atonement" (Dario Marianelli) • Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure Feature Film "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Hans Zimmer) • Best Original Score for a Comedy Feature Film "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" (Alexandre Desplat & Aaron Zigman) • Best Original Score for an Animated Feature Film "Ratatouille" (Michael Giacchino) • Best Original Score for a Science Fiction/Fantasy Feature Film "The Golden Compass" (Alexandre Desplat) • Breakout Composer of the Year Fernando Velázquez • Best Original Score for Television "Lost. Season 3" (Michael Giacchino) • Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media "Lair" (John Debney) • Best Un-released Original Score "Lair" (John Debney) • Original Song of the Year 'Le Festin' from "Ratatouille" (music/lyrics by Michael Giacchino) • Film Music Composition of the Year 'Up is Down' from "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Hans Zimmer) • Basil Poledouris Lifetime Achievement Award to a Film Music Legend Patrick Doyle

HISTORIC VARÈSE SARABANDE GRAND PRIZE!

Date:  6/8/2008

To celebrate Varèse Sarabande's 30th Anniversary, the IV International Film Music Conference - City of Úbeda is proud to announce that its Artistic Director, Mr. Robert Townson, will be presenting a one-of-a-kind Varèse Sarabande '30th Anniversary Grand Prize' (which currently consists of 54 CDs and over 70 autographs!) along with a fabulous 'Second Prize'. Further details and a complete list are available here! All sorts of film music goodies are included. I Am Legend is autographed by both James Newton Howard and author Richard Matheson! Tickets for both raffles can be purchased on-line until 4 July, Friday. In addition, they will be available for purchase at the venue of the Conference from 9 to 13 July. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TWO BIG WINNERS! Agustín Martínez Quiles - Grand Prize Valéry Guillin Pierre - Second Prize

FILM MUSIC RETURNS TO ÚBEDA!

Date:  6/1/2008

Úbeda … the beautiful and magical town in the south of Spain and the site of three previous film music celebrations is preparing for a fourth unforgettable event. Join Úbeda Artistic Director Robert Townson, Úbeda Honorary President Bruce Broughton, composers Patrick Doyle, Joel McNeely, Alberto Iglesias, Fernando Velázquez, John Scott and Roque Baños, along with director J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage) for a very historic event! Register now! This year’s concert is sure to be another classic ... Patrick Doyle’s Henry V, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, Carlito’s Way and more will be featured alongside Joel McNeely’s complete concert suite from Shadows of the Empire, Bruce Broughton’s Tombstone, John Scott’s Antony and Cleopatra and so much more! Fascinating seminars from all the guests and many special events fill the days leading up to the concert. Do not miss this once in a lifetime gathering of international talent … all together … all in Spain … only in Úbeda! The magic returns to Úbeda July 10 -13, 2008. Join us! The Fourth International Film Music Conference "City of Ubeda" Register in English. Register in Spanish.

ALEXANDER COURAGE (1919 - 2008)

Date:  5/28/2008

Varèse Sarabande mourns the loss of legendary orchestrator and composer Alexander Courage. From his classic fanfare and theme for the original Star Trek television series to his orchestration work for Alex North (The Agony And The Ecstasy), Jerry Goldsmith (Basic Instinct, Air Force One) and John Williams (Jurassic Park, Hook), Courage exhibited excellence in craft and artistry. His legendary presence on the scoring stage was always comforting and historic and he will be greatly missed. Alexander Courage was 88.

IN SESSION … IN CONCERT … IN TENERIFE!

Date:  5/23/2008

Fimucité 2 has unveiled a truly epic film music celebration which will run June 23 – 29, 2008, on Tenerife, in the beautiful Canary Islands! Fimucité 2 has further announced that this year’s closing night gala concert will open with a tribute to Robert Townson’s series of classic film score recordings for Varèse Sarabande Records. The first half of this historic concert will feature a selection of music from the album that marked Townson's 500th CD release ... In Session: A Film Music Celebration! The concert will open with a special four-movement concert suite tribute to Alex North’s legendary music for 2001: A Space Odyssey and will also include such classics as Vertigo (Herrmann), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Goldsmith), Body Heat (Barry) and Taras Bulba (Waxman). The concert will be conducted by festival director Diego Navarro and Joel McNeely. Other festival events will include thrilling concert performances by Ramin Djawadi (Iron Man), John Frizzell (Ghost Ship), Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek (Perfume), Joel McNeely (Shadows of The Empire), Trevor Rabin (Get Smart), Fernando Velázquez (The Orphanage) and Christopher Young (Spider-Man 3)! Joining Robert Townson among the special guests in attendance will be Doug Frank (Warner Bros.), Nancy Knutsen (ASCAP), Ray Costa (Costa Communications), along with agents Samuel Schwartz, Laura Engel, Richard Kraft, Robert Messinger and Cheryl Tiano. Fimucité is Tenerife’s premiere international film music festival. This year, the legends of the film music universe gather in the Canary Islands for a glorious and historic film music celebration. Don’t miss it! Fimucité 2 in English. Fimucité 2 in Spanish.

TOWNSON ON Filmzene.net!

Date:  5/15/2008

A lengthy interview with Varèse Sarabande producer Robert Townson, originally conducted in October of 2005 and published only in Hungarian, is now available at Filmzene.net in an English translation.

VARÈSE ON FOX!

Date:  5/13/2008

FOX News reporter Justin Craig's video coverage of the Varèse Sarabande 30th Anniversary Celebration autograph event is now available online at FOX News.com! A second news piece, featuring Robert Townson, Michael Giacchino, Brian Tyler, Trevor Rabin and John Ottman, all interviewed at the Varèse Sarabande 30th Anniversary Celebration event, discussing interest and enthusiasm for film music, is now available online at FOX News.com!

VARÈSE WEEKEND ON XM!

Date:  5/9/2008

XM Radio's CINEMAGIC! broadcast a three-day tribute to Varèse Sarabande Records and its 30-year history over the weekend of May 9, 10 and 11. What a joy it was to hear so many of our releases cued up as programs! So many wonderful scores and composers! Many thanks to Dave Z and CINEMAGIC!

ON THE SCORE!

Date:  4/25/2008

Varèse Sarabande producer Robert Townson and Film Score Monthly's Lukas Kendall share a candid conversation and discuss all things film music in a new interview by Daniel Schweiger available at On The Score.

VARÈSE BIRTHDAY BASH!

Date:  4/16/2008

Varèse Sarabande Records is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the release of our 30th Anniversary Celebration CD and will be hosting the biggest film music autograph event in history! Meet Robert Townson and an amazing group of some of your favorite composers. Everyone will be signing the new anniversary set, our 25th Anniversary set, and many of their recent and classic Varèse Sarabande releases, which will be all on sale. We may even have a few paintings on display and, of course, a few surprises! Photos of the event are available here. Breaking News: The legendary Richard M. Sherman will be autographing Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Tom Sawyer Robert Townson will be autographing Varèse 30, Varèse 25, In Session and more. Christophe Beck will be autographing Elektra, The Sentinel and We Are Marshall Marco Beltrami will be autographing Scream, Live Free or Die Hard, Hellboy and others. Charles Bernstein will attend and both he and Matthew Peak will be autographing A Nightmare On Elm Street Sean Callery will be autographing 24 and 24: Seasons 4 & 5 Mychael Danna will be autographing Breach, Water, Being Julia and more. Don Davis will attend and will be autographing The Matrix and House On Haunted Hill John Debney will be autographing Sin City, Zathura, Evan Almighty and more. Cliff Eidelman will be autographing The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants, The Alien Trilogy, The Ultimate Star Trek and more. John Frizzell will attend and will be autographing The Reaping and Ghost Ship Michael Giacchino will be autographing Lost: Season 3, Speed Racer, M:i:III and more. Mark Isham will be autographing The Mist, Lions for Lambs, Racing Stripes and more. Agent Richard Kraft will be autographing his The Bucket List liner notes! Jan A.P. Kaczmarek will attend and will be autographing The Visitor and Unfaithful Joel McNeely will be autographing I Know Who Killed Me, Star Wars: Shadows of The Empire, Psycho and more. Artist Matthew Joseph Peak will be autographing Psycho, The Day The Earth Stood Still, A Nightmare On Elm Street and more. John Ottman will be autographing Fantastic Four, The Invasion and others. Trevor Rabin will attend and will be autographing Gone In 60 Seconds, Deep Blue Sea, Gridiron Gang, Flyboys and more. The legendary Lalo Schifrin will attend and will be autographing Rush Hour 2 and Rush Hour 3. Marc Shaiman will attend and will be autographing The Bucket List and City Slickers Edward Shearmur will be autographing The Skeleton Key and Reign of Fire Brian Tyler will be autographing AvP R, Tokyo Drift, Children of Dune and more. Christopher Young will be autographing Ghostrider, The Grudge 2, The Fly II and more Even more composers will be announced soon! Keep an eye on this space! Hope to see you there! Location: Dark Delicacies 4213 W. Burbank Blvd. Burbank, CA 91505 818-556-6660 Date and Time: Saturday, May 10 at 2:00 pm The Varèse Sarabande 30th Anniversary Celebration CD, along with a huge selection of Varèse CDs by all the attending composers, will be available at the store, on the day of the event.

TOWNSON ON Filmmuziek.com!

Date:  4/9/2008

Varèse Sarabande producer Robert Townson discusses his career and the label's 30th anniversary in a new interview on Filmmuziek.com

DEEP DISH HERRMANN!

Date:  3/25/2008

The exciting live concert event inspired by the Bernard Herrmann recording series produced by Robert Townson and conducted by Joel McNeely moves to Chicago on April 4 for a thrilling night with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra! The brilliant music of the great Bernard Herrmann will again be celebrated by a special evening dedicated to his film scores and including excerpts from some of his most memorable works when Nightmare Romance plays Symphony Center in Chicago, Illinois. The masterpieces for Hitchcock ...Vertigo, Psycho, The Trouble With Harry and North by Northwest (including the entire Mount Rushmore sequence) together with Citizen Kane, Taxi Driver and Fahrenheit 451 will present a wide array of Herrmann's remarkable music. The musical team behind this historic event includes the renowned Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Herrmann aficionado Joel McNeely, soprano Rebecca Davis (to perform Salaambo!), Tom Waits / Ornette Coleman bassist Greg Cohen, who gathers an ensemble of musicians including Bill Frisell, Marty Ehrlich, Erik Charlston and Robert Burger to perform a few new arrangements of Herrmann classics, concert producer Danny Kapilian and Varèse Sarabande's producer Robert Townson. A nightmare to remember! Nightmare Romance has previously been performed in London, England and Lyon, France. This concert is sold out but we look forward to seeing those who were able to get tickets. See you in Chicago!

LEONARD ROSENMAN (1924 - 2008)

Date:  3/4/2008

Varèse Sarabande Records mourns the loss of legendary film composer Leonard Rosenman. Rosenman's landmark scores included East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Fantastic Voyage. We were thrilled to have worked with Mr. Rosenman on his score for RoboCop 2 back in 1990. Leonard Rosenman was 83.

VARÈSE AT 30! TOWNSON AT 900!

Date:  1/1/2008

Happy New Year, everyone! A LOOK BACK We hope that everyone found titles to enjoy from our slate of releases for 2007, which turned out to be our busiest and most prolific year ever. The year began, for us, with the release of Thomas Newman’s Academy Award-Nominated score for The Good German. Our year went on to feature new music by two film music legends … David Shire (Zodiac) and Lalo Schifrin (Rush Hour 3). Our release schedule was absolutely overflowing with new releases from Varèse Sarabande regulars Marco Beltrami, Mychael Danna, John Debney, Patrick Doyle, Randy Edelman, Danny Elfman, John Frizzell, Harry Gregson-Williams, James Newton Howard, Mark Isham, Joel McNeely, John Ottman, Trevor Rabin, Brian Tyler, Christopher Young and Hans Zimmer. We also welcomed back Klaus Badelt, Nathan Barr, Simon Boswell, BT, George S. Clinton, Alexandre Desplat, Jonathan Elias, Christopher Franke, Mark McKenzie, Robert Rodriguez, Gabriel Yared and Aaron Zigman. We were thrilled to present Varèse Sarabande debuts of Luis Bacalov, Ramin Djawadi, Scott Glasgow, Andrea Guerra, Paul Haslinger, Dario Marianelli, Stuart Matthewman, Trevor Morris, Carlo Siliotto and Frederick Wiedmann. We undertook some major historic restorations by some of our favorite and most beloved composers: Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Goldsmith, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Alex North, Franz Waxman and Victor Young and we filled in some major gaps (The Karate Kid!) in the discographies of Bill Conti, George Fenton, Dave Grusin, Johnny Mandel and Tom Scott. We even produced a brand new recording of Bernard Herrmann’s classic score for North by Northwest and released a commemorative boxed set marking the centenary of the great Miklós Rózsa! We never stopped … all year long! And wait until you see what we have coming up! A LOOK FORWARD Our release of James Newton Howard’s score for I Am Legend becomes Robert Townson’s 900th soundtrack album release and begins a 100 CD countdown to the unprecedented achievement of his 1000th produced film music recording! Among our next 100 releases will be a very special commemoration of Varèse Sarabande’s 30th Anniversary, (with this milestone being reached later in the spring of this year). Townson’s 18-month (or less!) march to 1000 will include some of the most head-spinning, jaw-dropping releases we have ever produced. Brace yourself for a wild film music ride! This is going to be fun!

WORLD SOUNDTRACK AWARDS!

Date:  10/22/2007

On Saturday, October 20 the World Soundtrack Awards winners were announced in Music Centre Bijloke, Ghent. The first prize went to Alexandre Desplat (The Queen, The Painted Veil), this year’s Film Composer of the Year. Clint Mansell’s film music for The Fountain not only received the Best Original Soundtrack of the Year but also the Public Choice Award, which was presented to him by Robert Townson. The Flemish Radio Orchestra, conducted by Dirk Brossé, performed some exceptional film music for a sold out concert hall. Both the ceremony and the concert were hosted by world famous composers such as David Arnold, Alberto Iglesias, Clint Mansell, Maurice Jarre and Daniel Tarrab. After the World Soundtrack Awards ceremony the Flemish Radio Orchestra, conducted by Dirk Brossé, performed film music by Mychael Danna (Little Miss Sunshine, Capote, Monsoon Wedding, Ice Storm), Harry Gregson-Williams (Man of Fire, Shrek, Chronicles of Narnia), Evanthia Reboutsika (My Father & My Son), Mikis Theodorakis (Zorba) and Jef Neve (Dagen Zonder Lief). The winners: Film Composer of the Year Alexandre Desplat (The Queen, The Painted Veil) Best Original Soundtrack of the Year The Fountain (Clint Mansell, see photo) Best Original Song Written Directly for Film You Know My Name (Casino Royale) written by Chris Cornell and David Arnold – Performed by Chris Cornell Discovery of the Year Daniel Tarrab and Andres Goldstein (XXY, Inheritance) Public Choice Award The Fountain (Clint Mansell) The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Mikis Theodorakis who unfortunately couldn’t be present due to health problems. The Best Young Belgian Composer prize was awarded to Werner Viaene.

THE MUSICIAN'S MAGICIAN!

Date:  12/2/2006

Super-cool spy legend Derek Flint (James Coburn) returns to DVD this fall in a special 3-disc set from 20th Century Fox. The new package includes the 1966 film Our Man Flint, along with the 1967 sequel In Like Flint. As a special tribute to the film's composer, Jerry Goldsmith, the set also includes a short feature called The Musician's Magician. Varèse Sarabande producer Robert Townson, along with Goldsmith children, Carrie and Joel, are all interviewed. This Ultimate Flint Collection is available now, as is the soundtrack. Both feature the classic artwork by the legendary Bob Peak.

BASIL POLEDOURIS (1945 - 2006)

Date:  11/8/2006

It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of our dear friend Basil Poledouris, who passed away today at the age of 61. A remarkable talent and a very special man who will be dearly missed.

WAXMAN AT THE ACADEMY!

Date:  10/1/2006

In celebration of Oscar®-winning composer Franz Waxman’s centennial, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will screen the 1941 films Suspicion and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, both featuring Academy Award®-nominated scores composed by Waxman, on Thursday, October 19, at 7 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Hosted by Grammy®-winning conductor John Mauceri, founding director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, the program will open with an onstage discussion with John Waxman, the composer’s son, and Varèse Sarabande's Robert Townson, producer of such Waxman recordings as Sunset Boulevard, Rebecca and Peyton Place. Tickets to Suspicion and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members. A single ticket will admit individuals to both features. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Seats are unreserved. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For additional information, call (310) 247-3600.

DELERUE ONLINE!

Date:  7/31/2006

The official website for legendary composer Georges Delerue is now online! We encourage everyone who loves beautiful music to explore its riches.

TOWNSON ON STREETCAR!

Date:  5/2/2006

Varèse Sarabande producer Robert Townson discusses Alex North's seminal score for A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE in "North and the Music of the South," an original documentary on the new Warner Bros. DVD of this legendary and classic film. The two-disc special edition is available now.

NIGHTMARE ROMANCE - THE MUSIC OF BERNARD HERRMANN!

Date:  2/20/2006

The brilliant music of the great Bernard Herrmann will be celebrated by a special evening dedicated to his film scores and including excerpts from some of his most memorable works on March 17 at London's Barbican Hall. The masterpieces for Hitchcock ...Vertigo, Psycho, Marnie, The Trouble With Harry and North by Northwest (including the entire Mount Rushmore sequence) together with Citizen Kane, The Twilight Zone, Taxi Driver and Fahrenheit 451 will present a wide array of Herrmann's remarkable music. The musical team behind this historic event includes the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by composer and Herrmann aficinado Joel McNeely, Tom Waits / Ornette Coleman bassist Greg Cohen, who gathers an ensemble of musicians including guitarist Bill Frisell to perform new arrangements, concert producer Danny Kapilian and Varese Sarabande's Robert Townson. Join us in London!

VARÈSE ON iTUNES!

Date:  12/15/2005

With over 400 titles from our catalog now available at the iTunes Music Store, this is the ideal way to track down many long-out-of-print CDs. With more titles being posted all the time, you never know what might turn up. Search for you favorite composers and fill in some gaps in your collection. Happy Holidays from Varèse Sarabande!

A MILLION DOLLAR NIGHT!

Date:  2/27/2005

Varèse Sarabande Records congratulates director Clint Eastwood, Warner Bros. Pictures and everyone involved in MILLION DOLLAR BABY, winner of the 2004 Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as Best Director (Clint Eastwood), Best Actress (Hilary Swank) and Best Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman). Our soundtrack of Clint Eastwood's score will be in stores on Tuesday, March 1.

ELMER BERNSTEIN (1922 - 2004)

Date:  8/18/2004

In these unthinkably sad times, we at Varese Sarabande bow our heads in memory of Elmer Bernstein, who passed away today at the age of 82.

JERRY GOLDSMITH (1929 - 2004)

Date:  7/22/2004

Varèse Sarabande Records is heartbroken to report that our dear friend Jerry Goldsmith passed away last night after a long battle with cancer. He was 75.

GRAMMY NOMINATION!

Date:  12/4/2003

Varese Sarabande Records congratulates conductor Joel McNeely, producer Robert Townson, recording engineer Jonathan Allen and artist Matthew Joseph Peak for the "Best Classical Crossover Album" Grammy nomination received for our recording of Bernard Herrmann's THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. Good luck!

MICHAEL KAMEN (1948 - 2003)

Date:  11/18/2003

Varese Sarabande Records joins the family, friends and fans from around the world in mourning the tragic loss of Michael Kamen.

VARÈSE GIFT ITEMS!

Date:  7/8/2003

Please visit our brand new Gift Items page to find a Varèse Sarabande mug, t-shirts and notecards. Also available for ordering as a special release from the Varèse Sarabande CD Club is a spectacular second volume to our acclaimed 25th Anniversary CD. That’s right … four more CDs! … 5 more hours of film music classics! It’s a film music wonderland!

BOB PEAK TRIBUTE!

Date:  4/28/2003

For those who have enjoyed the stunning work of the legendary Bob Peak on such Varèse Sarabande CDs as Rollerball, The English Patient and The Cowboys, not to mention his classic movie posters for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Apocalypse Now and Excalibur, we recommend the latest issue of Illustration magazine, which dedicates the entire issue to Peak’s work. A detailed biographical account and a vast array of remarkable imagery are featured.

VARESE SARABANDE GRAMMY WINNER!

Date:  2/27/2002

Varese Sarabande Records congratulates Alan Silvestri on his Grammy win for "Best Instrumental Composition" awarded for the Cast Away - End Credits track from our CD The Zemeckis / Silvestri Collection. We are very excited to see Alan's exceptional work for Robert Zemeckis' film recognized in this way.

NEW ALEX NORTH WEB SITE!

Date:  9/4/2001

This week (September 8, 2001) marks the tenth anniversary of the death of Alex North. The life and music of the legendary composer is now celebrated with a new web site. Containing biographical material, a filmography, a discography, a list of concert works and more, the new site is recommended to all have admired the work of one of this centuries greatest composers.