Alexandre Desplat, a renowned French composer and conductor, is a worthy heir to the French masters of film music. Born to a Greek mother and a French father who studied and married in California, he grew up surrounded by a cultural and musical mix. He was influenced by French symphonists like Ravel and Debussy, as well as world music and jazz.
Desplat studied piano and trumpet before choosing the flute as his main instrument. He further enriched his classical musical education by studying Brazilian and African music. He was inspired by the scores of Maurice Jarre, Bernard Herrmann, Nino Rota, and Georges Delerue, and it was the score of John Williams for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope that led him to compose exclusively for the big screen.
Desplat's first feature film score was met with the introduction of his future wife, violinist Dominique Lemonnier, who became his favorite soloist, artistic director, and partner. He worked with Jacques Audiard on several projects, winning the Silver Bear at the Berlinale and a Caesar award for The Beat That My Heart Skipped.
His rise in Hollywood began with Girl with a Pearl Earring, earning him a Golden Globe nomination and BAFTA. He collaborated with renowned directors like Stephen Gaghan, Jonathan Glazer, Anne Fontaine, Robert Guédiguian, and Jérôme Salle, among others. He received his first Oscar nomination for The Queen and won his first European Film Award.
Desplat's subsequent collaborations included The Painted Veil, Lust, Caution, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Ghost Writer, and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. He won a second César and a second European Film Award for The Ghost Writer and composed the music for The King's Speech, winning the BAFTA, Grammy Award, and being nominated for the Oscars and Golden Globes.
In the following years, Desplat worked on several successful projects, including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2, The Tree of Life, Carnage, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and The Ides of March. He won his third César for Rust and Bone and was nominated for an Oscar for Argo.
Desplat continued to work with top directors, including Kathryn Bigelow, Matteo Garrone, George Clooney, and Jacques Audiard. He signed the partition for The Monuments Men, Venus in Fur, and Philomena, and received two Oscar nominations for The Imitation Game and The Grand Budapest Hotel, winning a BAFTA, Grammy, and Oscar.
In 2014, Desplat became the first composer President of the jury of the Venice Film Festival. He received a second Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA for The Shape of Water in 2018. Throughout his career, Desplat has demonstrated his versatility and creative spirit, earning him a reputation as one of the most accomplished film composers of his generation.
