Michael Giacchino: First Recipient of the Colburn Prize

It was announced today, April 4th, that Michael Giacchino, composer of the Academy Award winning score for UP and the creative mind behind the iconic Hollywood soundscapes of LOST, Alias, Ratatouille and The Incredibles, will be honored with the first-ever Colburn Prize.

Giacchino will receive The Colburn Prize at the annual Celebrate Colburn gala on April 5th held in school’s main plaza in downtown Los Angeles. At this sold out event, Giacchino will lead The Colburn Orchestra in a performance of his original works: Theme from UP and “Oceanic 6” from LOST. Also performing are the brightest talents in music and dance from all divisions of The Colburn School. The concert’s highlights will include nine year-old piano prodigy Ray Ushikubo, a jazz performance from the Trudle Zipper Professional Training Program, and collection of pieces, from Mendelssohn to the “bottleairs”, performed by conservatory students. Toby Mayman, Honorary Life Director of The Colburn School, will be honored with the Richard D. Colburn Award.

Upon receiving the award announcement, Giacchino said: “I am honored to be the first person to receive the Colburn Prize. I have had the pleasure of working with the Colburn Orchestra and the students here on a number of occasions, most memorably, the LOST concert finale program. It is incredibly moving to see such talent and commitment to the study of music. Colburn students perform at the highest level of international standards. I believe that an education in music and the arts is just as important as one in math and science. A dedicated and prestigious school of music like Colburn is a treasure for California and in fact, for the world. I am thrilled to support Colburn as it continues to develop the artists of tomorrow.”

Sel Kardan, President and CEO of the Colburn School: “Mr. Giacchino’s success combined with his enduring advocacy for arts education serves as a outstanding model for our students. We cannot imagine a better person to honor with the first Colburn Prize. His musical vision has not only inspired the those in the Colburn community, but is an immense gift to music lovers around the world.”

Michael Giacchino’s first major composition was in 1997 when newly formed DreamWorks Interactive asked him to score their flagship PlayStation game, The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Based on the hit movie of the same name, the console game was the first to have a live orchestral score. Since then, he has lent his genius to much of the modern Hollywood landscape, winning two Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, a Bafta and an Oscar in the process. He has illustrated a long-standing commitment to the arts from his Camden 2000 composition, which benefited that city’s arts programs, to his current advocacy for arts education in Los Angeles’ public schools.

The Colburn Prize recognizes exciting artists who, through their contemporary work, embrace the Colburn tradition of excellence in the arts. An inspiration to Colburn students, honorees represent innovation, enthusiasm and distinction in their chosen field. In this inaugural year of The Colburn Prize, the school honors American composer Michael Giacchino for his outstanding scores for movies, television and video games. The award is in recognition of Giacchino’s fluidity and grace in adapting musical styles for projects ranging from humorous and touching animated films to dark and ferocious video game scores, while remaining committed to education and community including: Variety’s Power of Youth initiative, Education Through Music Los Angeles organization and The Colburn School.

Recipients of The Colburn Prize will continued to collaborate with the school on projects, bringing their distinct brand of artistic excellence and inspiration in fresh and exciting ways to the students and faculty
of the school through collaborative projects such as new performing arts works.

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About The Colburn School

The Colburn School is a world-class performing arts school located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, neighboring the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Music Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the planned Broad Museum. Our acclaimed faculty provides students with the highest quality performing arts education with a multitude of performance opportunities in a state-of-the-art facility. More than 2000 students attend classes in our four schools-- the Conservatory of Music, the School of Performing Arts, the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute, and the Academy.