HUNGER GAMES Composer James Newton Howard Honored at HOLLYWOOD IN VIENNA Tonight

Founder and CEO of "Hollywood in Vienna" Sandra Tomek is excited to welcome distinguished composer James Newton Howard as the guest of honor and recipient of the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award. The annual film music gala "Hollywood in Vienna," now in its eighth year, will take place tonight and tomorrow, October 15th and 16th, 2015 at the historic Wiener Konzerthaus (Vienna Concert Hall) in Vienna, Austria.

"We are very excited to honor James Newton Howard in Vienna," says Tomek. "Howard is definitely one of the most versatile film composers of our time as he succeeds in writing both eerie classical mystery scores, uplifting comedy scores, electronic soundtracks as well as chart-winning songs."

To date, James Newton Howard has written over 120 scores, including Collateral, The Bourne Legacy, The Fugitive, The Prince of Tides and Pretty Woman. He scored The Hunger Games Trilogy and his song "The Hanging Tree," performed by Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence, made the Top-20 on US Billboard charts. With Emmy and Grammy Award wins, eight Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe nominations, James Newton Howard is one of the most illustrious composers in film. In addition, he received ASCAP's prestigious Henry Mancini Award for Lifetime Achievement and the World Soundtrack Award for Film Composer of the Year for his work on Charlie Wilson's War, Michael Clayton and I Am Legend. Other credits include Prince of Tides, Unbreakable, Nightcrawler, Snow White and the Huntsman, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Village, Snow Falling on Cedars, Primal Fear, Dave and Defiance, to name just a few.

His work will be performed by the world-class ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Keith Lockhart, chief conductor of the Boston Pops.

"Hollywood in Vienna" was founded in 2007 by Sandra Tomek (B.O.F.M. - Best of Film Music). The symphonic gala concert celebrates classic and current masterpieces of film music. During the course of the gala concert, the City of Vienna awards one of today's leading film music composers with the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award. The Viennese composer Max Steiner belongs to the most influential pioneers in the history of Hollywood movies and scored all-time classics like King Kong, Gone with the Wind and Casablanca. The award is meant to be a symbol of recognition for exceptional achievements in the art of film music. Past awardees are Randy Newman (2014), James Horner (2013), Lalo Schifrin (2012), Alan Silvestri (2011), Howard Shore (2010) and John Barry (2009).

For more information visit: www.hollywoodinvienna.com.

Hollywood in Vienna will take place on October 15 and 16, 2015, 8:00 pm at the Vienna Concert Hall (Wiener Konzerthaus). For tickets sales (starting March 26th, 2015), visit: http://konzerthaus.at/konzert/evisid/000000e9-000fa14b OR http://konzerthaus.at/konzert/evisid/000000e9-000ced9b.