One of America’s most performed composers, David Lang is a virtuoso who brings together a passion for invention with a deep understanding of the classical tradition. He has a long relationship with AAR; he is a 1991 Fellow and currently serves as a Trustee. For his lecture “Soundtracks” this March, presented with Nicola Piovani, Lang discussed his compositions for film and the tremendous impact contemporary music has on cinematic narratives—an idea that has been of interest to him from a young age. “Much of this music, when played in a concert hall, could push mainstream classical audiences away, but in a movie theater the audience accepted it,” he told Slate. “A big part of what makes music work is the context you put it in, the other senses and disciplines it collaborates with. I have been trying to put my music in the proper context ever since.”

Lang won Best Score and Best Original Soundtrack at the 2016 David di Donatello Awards for his soundtrack to Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth. His other film work includes the score to Jonathan Parker’s (Untitled), the music for the The Woodmans, and the string arrangements for Requiem for a Dream. He won a Pulitzer Prize for The Little Match Girl Passion, and his scores have been nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.