Who composed the score for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan?

James Horner composed the score for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Horner was a young composer when producer Harve Bennett and director Nicholas Meyer hired him for the 1982 sequel. Jerry Goldsmith, who scored Star Trek: The Motion Picture, was not available for the reduced-budget production, and the filmmakers wanted a different musical direction. Horner completed the score in roughly four and a half weeks.

The music combines bold brass writing, tense rhythmic figures, and lyrical themes for Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise. Horner also adapted the opening fanfare from Alexander Courage’s original Star Trek television theme. A frequent mix-up is Jerry Goldsmith, whose celebrated score belongs primarily to the first feature film; another is Leonard Rosenman, who scored Star Trek IV. Horner returned for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.