Film Music Prague 2026 – Music of Hollywood: Jerry Goldsmith & Basil Poledouris

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION

Prague will become the epicenter of film music on Sunday, October 4th, 2026. The Film Music Prague festival has prepared a grand symphonic evening for its visitors dedicated to the work of two giants of Hollywood cinema – Jerry Goldsmith and Basil Poledouris. Concert Music of Hollywood: Goldsmith & Poledouris promises a thrilling journey through the most memorable moments of the silver screen, performed by the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Chuhei Iwasaki.

 

Although both composers possessed a distinctive and instantly recognizable style, a key common denominator in their careers was their groundbreaking collaboration with the famous Dutch director Paul Verhoeven. Verhoeven’s cinematic visions, filled with satire, raw action, and psychological tension, demanded an uncompromising musical accompaniment. Both Goldsmith and Poledouris succeeded in transforming the director’s vision into iconic soundtracks.

 

The evening’s program will offer a selection of the very best from both composers’ rich discographies. One of the main attractions is the cult thriller Basic Instinct, composed by Jerry Goldsmith. This hypnotic and darkly mysterious soundtrack, featuring an iconic woodwind motif, transports listeners into an atmosphere of psychological tension, earning Goldsmith a well-deserved Academy Award nomination. From Goldsmith’s work for Verhoeven, audiences will also hear the thrilling action suite from the sci-fi hit Total Recall. In 1990, Goldsmith combined a classic symphonic orchestra with the then-state-of-the-art Kurzweil synthesizers and unconventional rhythms so flawlessly that its main theme still sounds absolutely futuristic today.

 

Half of the program will pay tribute to Basil Poledouris. Audiences can look forward to a suite from the legendary sci-fi RoboCop, in which Poledouris brilliantly combined a cold, industrial rhythm-and-brass motif of a mechanical machine with the deeply human and tragic heart of the main hero. Significant space will also be given to the at times satirical music from the cult classic Starship Troopers. The famous Klendathu Drop section will captivate the audience with its dynamics, fierce energy, and uncompromising military march structure.

 

The concert also features a selection from the fantasy classic Conan the Barbarian. During the recording of this iconic music in Rome, Basil Poledouris personally operated a blacksmith’s anvil. The concert will also include other gems of world cinema, such as Alien, Rambo, Free Willy!, or Star Trek: First Contact.

 

Detailed information about the program and ticket sales can be found here.