Maurice Jarre

Known for his sweeping orchestral landscapes as well as wistful romantic themes and cosmopolitan finesse, French film composer Maurice Jarre provided the scores for such celebrated epics as Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984), all three of which were Academy Award winners for best score. Along with the pop hit "Somewhere My Love," a reworking of "Lara's Theme," the Doctor Zhivago score also resulted in Jarre's lone Grammy. Not restricted to historical dramas, and helping to usher in the use of electronics in scoring, he also composed the music for movies like the thriller Witness (1985), the comedy-drama Dead Poet's Society (1989), and the romantic fantasy Ghost (1991), winning BAFTAs for the last two. Appearing nine years before his death, 2000's I Dreamed of Africa was Jarre's final score for a theatrical release. His survivors include his son, electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre.