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| Film composer Justin Hurwitz / Courtesy of JIMFF |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Justin Hurwitz, the composer who wrote original soundtracks for the 2014 indie breakout film, "Whiplash," and the 2020 musical drama film, "La La Land," will hold his first-ever solo concert in Korea in August.
The American music director will visit this year's Jecheon International Music and Film Festival (JIMFF), scheduled for Aug. 11 to 16 in the North Chungcheong provincial city of Jecheon. Hurwitz received the Jecheon Film Music Honorary Award, according to the JIMFF organizing committee.
From 2006 to 2016, the award was given to film musicians whose achievements have undeniably shaped the history of Korean film music. From 2017 to 2019, the award was presented to outstanding Asian film composers such as Kawai Kenji of Japan, Tan Dun of China, and Lim Giong of Taiwan.
Since 2020, the JIMFF organizing committee expanded the scope to include international film composers to recognize the most influential talents around the world.
"Hurwitz's win signals a new beginning for the award while celebrating the films beloved by Korean fans for which he wrote the original music," the committee said.
On accepting the prize, Hurwitz was quoted as saying by the committee, "It's a great honor to receive the Jecheon Film Music Honorary Award, and I am very excited to attend JIMFF this summer."
Hurwitz studied composition and orchestration at Harvard University and is known for his longtime collaboration with the Oscar-winning director, Damien Chazelle.
He wrote the original scores for films such as "La La Land," "Whiplash" and Neil Armstrong biopic "First Man," which made him an acclaimed composer and earned him several awards at the Academy Awards, the BAFTA Awards and the Critics' Choice Movie Awards.
In 2017, he won Best Original Score and Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy Awards, respectively, solidifying his position as a rising star in the film score field.
As the only music-themed film festival in Korea, the JIMFF strives to share the diversity of local films. Unlike in 2020 when it was held as an online event, or in 2021 when it juggled between both online and offline programs, the festival will return as a full-scale offline event to meet the audience. It will offer various celebratory programs, including the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the festival's key music event, "One Summer Night."
