Conan the Barbarian Returns to Spanish Concert Halls
Three January programs in Madrid and Barcelona will bring Poledouris' landmark score back to the concert stage.
Read the storyAmerican Composer · 1945–2006
BasilPoledouris
August 21, 1945 — November 8, 2006
The composer who gave Conan his thunder, RoboCop his anvil-forged soul, and the Red October its haunting Orthodox choir — one of Hollywood's most powerful orchestral voices.
80+
Film & TV Scores
36
Years Active
1
Emmy Award
4×
BMI Film Award
"Film just seemed to be the music of my generation. Cinema was a very new art — there were no rules. It just seemed to fit."— Basil Poledouris
The Music Continues
Latest News & Stories
Prague Celebrates the Music of Basil Poledouris
A full orchestra and choir brought the heroic, mechanical, and choral sides of his music to the Rudolfinum.
Read the storyRádio MEC Marks Basil Poledouris' 80th Birthday
A Brazilian public-radio tribute turns an anniversary into an invitation to listen across his career.
Read the storyLandmark Works
Essential Scores
Chronology
A Life in Music
1945
Born in Kansas City, Missouri
Son of Greek immigrants from Messenia; raised in the Greek Orthodox Church whose choral sound would shape his greatest scores.
Late 1960s
USC Film School
Transfers to the University of Southern California's cinema department, studying under Miklós Rózsa. Classmates include George Lucas, John Milius, and Randal Kleiser.
1978
Big Wednesday — Feature debut
John Milius gives Poledouris his first major feature. The first time he hears his music played by a full symphony orchestra.
1982
Conan the Barbarian — The breakthrough
The score that defined a career and an era. Widely regarded as one of the greatest film scores ever written.
1987
RoboCop — Verhoeven begins
First of three scores for Paul Verhoeven. The RoboCop theme, featuring percussionists on anvils, became instantly iconic.
1989
Emmy Award — Lonesome Dove
Wins the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition. The rolling title theme is one of television's most beloved pieces of music.
1990
The Hunt for Red October
A Russian Orthodox choral anthem transforms a submarine thriller into something ancient and mythic. Wins the BMI Film Music Award.
1996
Atlanta Olympic Games
Commissioned to compose "The Tradition of the Games" for the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympics.
1997
Starship Troopers — Nine months, 96 pieces
Given an unprecedented nine months to write the score for Verhoeven's sci-fi epic — his most complex and ambitious work.
2006
Died November 8, Los Angeles
Passed from lung cancer at 61, leaving behind over 80 scores across 36 years of work.
Key Partnerships
Collaborators
John Milius
Director · USC Classmate
Big Wednesday · Conan the Barbarian · Red Dawn · Farewell to the King · Flight of the Intruder
Paul Verhoeven
Director
Flesh & Blood · RoboCop · Starship Troopers
Randal Kleiser
Director · USC Classmate
The Blue Lagoon · Summer Lovers · White Fang · It's My Party
Simon Wincer
Director
Lonesome Dove · Quigley Down Under · Harley Davidson & the Marlboro Man · Free Willy · Crocodile Dundee in LA
John Waters
Director
Serial Mom · Cecil B. DeMented
Zoë Poledouris
Daughter & Collaborator
Conan the Barbarian (melody) · Cecil B. DeMented