{"id":120914,"date":"2026-01-14T12:05:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T17:05:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=120914"},"modified":"2026-01-14T13:00:01","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T18:00:01","slug":"interview-orchestra-toronto-conductor-michael-newnham-talks-darth-vader-godfather-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/01\/14\/interview-orchestra-toronto-conductor-michael-newnham-talks-darth-vader-godfather-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Orchestra Toronto Conductor Michael Newnham Talks About Darth Vader To The Godfather And 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Orchestra
Orchestra Toronto Conductor Michael Newnham (Photo: Bo Huang)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Orchestra Toronto presents their first ever concert of movie music to kick off 2026. Titled Darth Vader Meets The Godfather, the program features a program of music that includes selections from Star Wars, The Godfather, The Lord of the Rings, E.T., The Untouchables and The Magnificent Seven.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis concert represents some of the very best in cinematic music, from the soaring melodies and passion of Nino Rota’s score to The Godfather to John Williams’ iconic outer space adventures and virtuosic treatment of the orchestra in E.T. and Star Wars,\u201d says Orchestra Toronto Music Director Michael Newnham<\/strong> in a statement.<\/p>\n

LV caught up with Newnham to talk about the January 24 concert as well as the rest of the 2025\/26 season.<\/p>\n

Michael Newnham: The Interview<\/h2>\n

Concerts where musicians perform the score live while the film plays on a huge screen have become common fare for many major orchestras. What does film music without the film offer to audiences?<\/p>\n

\u201cFilm music is really interesting because, a lot of the greatest talents in composition in Hollywood have been writing for film \u2014 or in Europe,\u201d Newnham says.<\/p>\n

The scores themselves often feature unique qualities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey tend to be very opulent,\u201d he says. \u201cThey tend to use extra instruments that we don\u2019t usually find in a symphony per se.\u201d<\/p>\n

A concert also allows for a better appreciation of the music on its own. Much of movie music is intended to be subsumed in the action that takes place on screen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think one of the things that’s really great about separating out the film music from its context, from the film itself, is to be able to just concentrate on the brilliance of the scoring, and the melodies, because often it gets buried in the action it\u2019s illustrating,\u201d Michael explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can really focus on that.\u201d He notes that it\u2019s similar in principle to an opera in concert, for example. \u201cOften, it even gets mixed down.\u201d Movie music most often serves the purpose of supporting the actions and emotions on screen; it\u2019s not intended to be heard for its own sake while the movie is screening. A concert showcases the music for its own merits.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou hear it in the back of your mind, but then you listen to the soundtrack and you think, oh isn’t that fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Respect for Film Music<\/h3>\n

Until recent years, film scores weren\u2019t given the same respect as other musical compositions. Thankfully, that\u2019s a misconception that has largely been abandoned.<\/p>\n

Newnham points out the use of leitmotifs by composers like John Williams and Howard Shore. \u201cJust like Wagner,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnnio Morricone was actually embarrassed,\u201d Michael says. \u201cHe had very contemporary avant garde music [training], but then because he had to feed his family, he started getting into commercial music and writing for film,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Morricone had studied music at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome from the age of 12.<\/p>\n

\u201cFinally when he wrote his music for Once Upon a Time in America or The Mission, I forget which one it is, then he met [one of his former] professors, who said no, no, you’re wrong \u2014 you’re on the exact right path.\u201d<\/p>\n

Putting the Program Together<\/h3>\n

The full program for Darth Vader Meets The Godfather includes:<\/p>\n