Gabriel Yared at the ZFF: Golden Eye Award for Oscar Winner

Gabriel Yared ZFF: Career Achievement Award for a Film Music Legend

The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) is honoring composer and Oscar winner Gabriel Yared with the Career Achievement Award. He will be presented with the Golden Eye for his lifetime achievement during the «Cinema in Concert» gala on October 1, 2026. With this honor, the ZFF is recognizing Gabriel Yared as the sixth consecutive Oscar winner—a testament to the award’s international prestige within the world of film music. In addition, Yared will serve as jury chair for the 14th International Film Music Competition (IFMW).

Yared is one of the most influential figures in international film music. His soundscapes for films such as *The English Patient*, *The Talented Mr. Ripley*, *Cold Mountain*, and *Betty Blue* remain unforgettable. For his score to *The English Patient*, he was awarded an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Grammy, and a BAFTA.

From Beirut to Hollywood via Paris

Gabriel Yared was born in Beirut in 1949 and moved to Paris in the early 1970s, where he studied composition with Henri Dutilleux and Maurice Ohana, among others. Starting in 1973, he made a name for himself on the French music scene as an arranger and musical director. He collaborated with artists such as Jacques Dutronc, Johnny Hallyday, Charles Aznavour, and Françoise Hardy.

In 1979, Yared began his career as a film composer with the scores for Jean-Luc Godard’s *Sauve qui peut (la vie)* and Christian de Chalonge’s *Malevil*. He achieved his international breakthrough in the 1980s with the films of Jean-Jacques Beineix, including *Betty Blue*. In the years that followed, he emerged as one of the defining voices in international film music and collaborated with directors such as Jean-Jacques Annaud, Robert Altman, and, above all, Anthony Minghella. His score for *The English Patient*, in particular, is still regarded today as a milestone in modern film music.

In addition to his work in film, Yared also composed music for ballet productions at the Paris Opera and the Royal Opera Ballet in London. In recent years, he has collaborated with Xavier Dolan on *It’s Only the End of the World* and *The Death and Life of John F. Donovan*, as well as with Angelina Jolie and Rupert Gould. In 2020, he was honored with the World Soundtrack Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award at Film Fest Gent.

Festival Director Reta Guetg pays tribute to Yared’s work in no uncertain terms: «Gabriel Yared belongs among the pantheon of film music. His compositions evoke powerful emotions that linger long after the film ends.» His works are characterized by an impressive cultural breadth—ranging from films like *The Lives of Others* and *Betty Blue* to epic love stories like *City of Angels* and *The English Patient*. According to Guetg, influences from the Middle East, Brazil, and European musical traditions have made him a role model for his profession.

Yared himself is looking forward to his visit to the 22nd ZFF: «I am proud and honored to receive the Zurich Film Festival’s Career Achievement Award and to have been appointed chair of the jury for the International Film Music Competition, which offers young film composers the opportunity to have their works performed and presented.»