Alexandre Desplat, courtesy of Brigitte Lacombe

The cinematic scores of multi-award-winning Composer Alexandre Desplat are all deeply connected to the core of the story. From the balalaika in Wes Anderson’s THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL to the bandoneon in Guillermo del Toro’s THE SHAPE OF WATER – both Oscar wins for the maestro – his music has always served as a delicate storytelling device that never overpowered the visuals.

Born in Paris to a Greek mother and a French father, Alexandre Desplat began playing instruments at an early age; developing an appreciation for film music via listening to the movie soundtrack albums his parents would bring back from the U.S. He studied at the Royal College of Music, at the Conservatoire de Paris, and also took a summer course under avant-garde Composer and Music Theorist, Iannis Xenakis.

Continuously working on films as a Composer since the mid-eighties, Directors such as Guillermo del Toro, Wes Anderson, Jonathan Glazer, Kathryn Bigelow, Matteo Garrone, Costa-Gavras, Terrence Malick, Ang Lee, Michel Hazanavicius, Jacques Audiard, Greta Gerwig and numerous others have relied on the brilliance of Alexandre Desplat’s evocative and stunning scores to bring another dimension to their pictures.

During the 2025 Cannes Film Festival Society of Authors, Composers, and Publishers of Music discussion Alexandre Desplat stated, “It’s the beauty of the film I’m invited to be part of, that allows me to slide into it, the way an actor would. The composer is just a guest in this theatre. I use the tools I’ve stockpiled: musical tools, of course, but emotional tools too – fed by what I’ve read, museums I’ve visited…then share all that with the film…”

Join us on May 31, Closing Night of the 20th edition of Los Angeles Greek Film Festival; when we are honored to present our 2026 Tribute and Honorary Orpheus Award to an artist whose genre-bending work has inspired and influenced generations of storytellers, Composer Alexandre Desplat.

With support from Villa Albertine.