DOUG ADAMS
Doug Adams is a
Chicago-based musician and writer with roots in both classical and contemporary
music, and is considered one of today’s leading film music advocates.
As a journalist, Adams began
writing for Film Score Monthly magazine in the early 1990s, where he
interviewed and collaborated with composers such as Elmer Bernstein (The
Magnificent Seven), Alf Clausen (The Simpsons), John Corigliano (The
Red Violin), Don Davis (The Matrix), Danny Elfman (Edward
Scissorhands), Philip Glass (Koyaanisqatsi), Elliot Goldenthal (Frida),
and David Raksin (Laura). At the same time, Adams started penning liner
notes for CDs of classic film music, including works by Bruce Broughton, Jerry
Goldsmith, Quincy Jones, Michael Kamen, Alfred Newman, Howard Shore, and Franz
Waxman.
In 2001, Adams was invited
by composer Howard Shore to follow his work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
He attended the recording sessions in London and began regularly visiting the
composer’s studio in New York. Impressed by the intricate nature of their
collaboration, the two agreed to pursue a full book that would showcase the
immense detail and beauty of the project. Shore stated at the time, “I have
been reading Mr. Adams' articles and essays on film music for years. His
writing on the subject is intelligent, accessible and insightful. His work is
tremendously respected within the film community and he is the perfect author
for this book.”
The finished book – The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films
– was released in 2010.
Recent appearances include
the Kraków Film Music Festival in Poland; the Gala der Filmmusik in
Vienna, Austria; Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Academy of Music, and the Royal
College of Music in London; the Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern in
Switzerland; Robert DeNiro's Tribeca Film Festival and Radio City Music Hall in
New York; the Cleveland Symphony; and lectures in Chicago, Toronto, Orlando,
and Los Angeles.
Currently, Adams is
preparing to return to Middle-earth with a book that covers Shore’s work on
Peter Jackson’s upcoming two-film adaptation of The Hobbit.
