Who composed the original score for Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel?

Alexandre Desplat composed the original score for Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Desplat’s music is central to the film’s old-world European atmosphere. He used an orchestra featuring unusual folk instruments, including balalaikas, cimbaloms, and a contrabass balalaika, helping create the fictional Republic of Zubrowka’s distinctive sound. The score moves between lively comic passages, melancholy themes, and sweeping adventure music.

The music earned Desplat the Academy Award for Best Original Score, his first Oscar win. A common mix-up is to credit Mark Mothersbaugh, who composed several earlier Anderson scores, including Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and The Royal Tenenbaums. Desplat later worked with Anderson again on such films as Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs, and The French Dispatch.