Lyon, 1924 · Malibu, 2009
Maurice Jarre
Three Oscars with David Lean: Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India.
He studied percussion at the Paris Conservatoire and spent years in Jean Vilar's theatre company. Lawrence of Arabia made him famous overnight, written in a few weeks. In the eighties he switched to synthesizers for Witness and Dead Poets Society. He was the father of Jean-Michel Jarre.
- Style
- Broad, sweeping melodies, exotic percussion and, in Zhivago, the balalaika.
- Awards
- 3 Oscars: Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India.
Essential films
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- Doctor Zhivago (1965)
- A Passage to India (1984)
- Witness (1985)
- Dead Poets Society (1989)
- Ghost (1990)
Listen
- Lawrence of Arabia: Overture · Lawrence of ArabiaSpotifyYouTube
- Lara's Theme · Doctor ZhivagoSpotifyYouTube
- Building the Barn · WitnessSpotifyYouTube
Everything on Spotify Everything on YouTube Full biography on Wikipedia
Awards counted up to the 2026 Academy Awards. Facts reviewed in October 2026.