Composer, songwriter and Oscar winner Alan Menken will be honored with the Max Steiner Award, presented by Hollywood In Vienna on Oct. 3. Over an illustrious career that spans over 40 years, he is the musical mastermind behind such beloved classics as “Under the Sea,” “Be Our Guest,” “Seize the Day” and “A Whole New World.”
Said Sandra Tomek, CEO and founder of Hollywood In Vienna: “Alan Menken has received 20 Oscar nominations and has won more Academy Awards than any living artist. [He] wrote the melodies we listened to growing up from ‘The Little Mermaid’ to ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Aladdin.’ And now our children listen to those melodies once again through Disney’s live-action adaptations of those films. Alan wrote melodies that are known around the globe and are beloved by generations. This is an extraordinary accomplishment that needs to be honored with this award.”
Menken, who has won five Oscars for film music added: “I am truly honored to be receiving the prestigious Max Steiner Award this year. I feel humbled to have my name and work associated with the brilliant and legendary Max Steiner himself. The way his creative life moved from theater to film to the concert stage, even as his personal life moved him from Austria to England, and from Broadway to Hollywood, is an inspiration for all of us who follow in his footsteps nearly 50 years after his passing. And to receive this award in Vienna, the classical music capitol of the world, promises to make this one of the highlights of my life and career.”
Previous honorees include Alexandre Desplat, Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman and Randy Newman.
More information can be found at https://www.konzerthaus.at/