Who composed the music for The Lord of the Rings trilogy?

Howard Shore composed the music for Peter Jackson’s "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy. The Canadian composer created the scores for "The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), "The Two Towers" (2002), and "The Return of the King" (2003).

Shore’s music is built around recurring leitmotifs, or musical ideas associated with characters, cultures, places, and objects. Themes for the Shire, the Fellowship, the Ring, Mordor, and other parts of Middle-earth return in changing forms as the story develops. This gives the three films a unified musical identity across their long running time.

Shore also orchestrated, conducted, and produced the trilogy’s scores. The music combines symphonic writing with choirs, solo singers, unusual instrumental colors, and lyrics in languages connected to Tolkien’s world, including Quenya and Sindarin.

The score received major recognition. Shore won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Return of the King." He also shared the Oscar for the song "Into the West," written for the final film.