Alexandre Desplat

Born to a French father and a Greek mother, he played the flute before he composed. He spent almost twenty years scoring French films before Girl with a Pearl Earring and Syriana took him to Hollywood. He now splits his time between auteurs (Wes Anderson, Polanski, Audiard) and the big studios.

Style

Small ensembles, woodwinds and plucked strings, rhythms that never stop. He prefers precision to volume.

Awards

2 Oscars (The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Shape of Water) and 12 nominations, the latest for Frankenstein in 2026.

Essential films

• Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)
• The King's Speech (2010)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010)
• The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
• The Shape of Water (2017)
• Little Women (2019)
• Frankenstein (2025)

Listen

• The Shape of Water · The Shape of WaterSpotifyYouTube
• Mr. Moustafa · The Grand Budapest HotelSpotifyYouTube
• Lily's Theme · Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsSpotifyYouTube

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