The Composer Who Scored Hollywood’s Golden Age

Erich Wolfgang Korngold was born in Brünn, Austria-Hungary (now Brno, Czech Republic). A child prodigy, he was composing music by age seven and earned early praise from legendary composers Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss. Jewish musicians were a particular target of the Third Reich, so in 1934, Korngold joined the vanguard of Jewish-Viennese composers who fled before the onset of World War II to settle in Hollywood. Korngold became a pioneer of Hollywood film music, helping to create a musical golden age to match the golden age of American Cinema. He became known as one of the founders of American film music, having scored 16 Hollywood films during his career including A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935), Captain Blood (1935), and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), the latter earning him an Academy Award.

Although he intended to return to Europe, World War II and the encouragement of colleagues led Korngold to stay in California. His reputation in the U.S. became closely tied to film, even as his concert music enjoyed greater popularity in Europe. During the war, he resolved to write only film music until Hitler’s defeat. In the decade following WWII, he returned to concert composition, producing major works including the Violin Concerto.

Korngold’s concert music often incorporated variations on themes in his film scores. His Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 is a remarkable example of this technique, featuring themes from several of his film scores, including The Prince and the Pauper (1937) and Juarez (1939). This blending of cinematic and classical language –later embraced by composers such as John Williams–resulted in a work that is both virtuosic and deeply expressive, with the violin soaring, whispering and unfolding an emotionally rich narrative.

Interest in Korgold’s music was renewed in 1972 when his son, George Korngold, released The Sea Hawk: The Classic Film Scores of Erich Wolfgang Korngold, helping reestablish his late-Romantic style as a lasting influence on both film and concert music.

Pacific Symphony will perform Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 on January 15th–17th, 2026, for the first time since April 2016 at 8PM. Dynamic violinist Aubree Oliverson, a critically acclaimed soloist, will join Artistic and Music Director Designate Alexander Shelley on stage at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, California. Oliverson has performed with dozens of orchestras, including the Chamber Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and the Peace Orchestra Project, among others. She also has several awards to her name, including winner of the American Protégé International Strings Competition, a 2016 National Young Arts Foundation Award, and the honor of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. She is described as “Powerful…brimming with confidence and joy” by the Miami New Times, a sentiment shared in many reviews.

See Aubree Oliverson perform Korngold’s Violin Concerto January 15-17, 2026, at 8pm. Learn more.