Royal Albert Hall

The man behind the unforgettable music for Rogue One, Lost, Pixar’s Up, and the rebooted Star Trek series will enjoy his first ever major career retrospective at the Royal Albert Hall in October – to mark his 50th birthday.

Michael Giacchino, the Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Grammy-winning composer, will receive the ultimate honour as part of the venue’s annual Festival of Film, which brings the music of the movies centre-stage.

And since it’s a birthday celebration, a host of very special guests will be on hand to help Michael celebrate his half-century.

Lucy Noble, Artistic Director at the Royal Albert Hall, said: “We’ve celebrated Michael’s incredible music before, with Pixar in Concert and Star Trek Live, but this is the first time – anywhere – that the highlights of his remarkable career will have been brought together for one unmissable show.

“It’s a huge honour for us to welcome Michael to the Hall for this special, one-off celebration of his breathtaking work, which will showcase his originality, talent and gift for an unforgettable theme, and leave audiences in no doubt as to why he’s one of the most sought-after and important composers in Hollywood.”

The show will be hosted by TV personality and special effects whiz, Adam Savage (Mythbusters), presenting classic music from the likes of Star Trek, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Incredibles, Rogue One and Up, as well as the acclaimed video game, Medal of Honor, all conducted by film-and-live-orchestra supremo Ludwig Wicki (Jurassic Park Live).

Michael Giacchino was born in New Jersey in October 1967. He began his career writing video game music for DreamWorks, and after being talent-spotted by Steven Spielberg, became the first person to write an orchestral score for the PlayStation.

His work sparked the interest of producer and director J. J. Abrams, and their relationship led to scores for the hit TV series Alias and Lost – for which he an Emmy – followed by feature films, Mission Impossible III, Super 8, Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness.

Meanwhile, he became one of animation studio Pixar’s favourite composers, creating the music for smash-hit successes Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Inside Out and, most memorably, Up. His score for that instant classic included the immortal ‘Married Life’, and won him an Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe and Grammy.

Subsequent successes have included Jurassic World, Zootropolis, Doctor Strange, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as well as being the musical director for the Oscars in 2008, while his upcoming projects include the hotly-anticipated Spider Man: Homecoming.