Music comissioned for Olympic Games

[Gustavo Joseph 29]

John Williams is probably the composer most associated with the Olympic Games, with three themes comissioned for the 1984, 1996 e 2002 events, plus a great piece made for NBC in 1988.

However, many other composers had works comissioned for the Olympics. I'm going to list here the ones I'm aware of, and I would very much like your contribution to make this list as complete as possible.

 

1896 - Athens

Spyridon Samaras - Olympic Anthem (declared the official Olympics Anthem since 1958) 

 

1964 - Innsbruck 

Bugler's dream (Leo Arnaud for the album Charge! in 1958) - not composed for Olympics, featured in telecasts since 1964

 

1968 - Grenoble (Winter)

- Chant Olympique - Francis Lai (link?)

 

1980 - Moscou

- Moscow Fanfare - A. Golovin

- Waltz from the movie A Hunting Accident (Eugen Doga) - used at the opening cerimony (also at 2004 Sochi Winter Games)

 

1981 - Leonard Bernstein - Olympic Hymn (for the COI Congress)

 

1984 - Los Angeles

- Olympic Fanfare - John Williams

- Power (music for the weightlifters) - Bill Conti

- Reach out (music for track athletes) - Giorgio Moroder and Paul Engelmann)

- Grace (gymnastics theme) - Quincy Jones

- Junku (field theme) - Herbie Hancock

- The Olympian (closing theme) - Philip Glass

 

1988 - Calgary (Winter)

- Winter Games - David Foster

 

1988 - Seul

- Hand in hand (official theme song) - Giorgio Moroder ,  Kim Moon-hwan (korean lyrics) and Tom Whitlock (english lyrics)

- The Olympic spirit (for NBC) - John Williams

 

1992 - Barcelona

- The Torch Theme (The Flaming Arrow) - Opening Olympic Fanfare - Angelo Badalamenti

- Ryuichi Sakamoto - music director of opening cerimony

- Canto olympico - Mikis Theodorakis

- Amigos para siempre (song) - Andrew lloyd Webber and Don Black

- Barcelona (song) - Freddie Mercury and Mark Moran

 

1996 - Atlanta

- Summon the heroes - John Williams

- The tradition of the games - Basil Poledouris

- The power of the dream (song) - David Foster

- Reach (song) - Diane Warren and Gloria Estefan

- On wings of victory (with parts of Mr Holland's Opus's score) -  Michael Kamen

- Javelin (Michael Torke) - premiered in 1994

 

2000 - Sidney

- The Flame - John Foreman

- The man from Snowy River - olympic version based on the 1982 score (Bruce Rowland)

- Eternity - David Hirschfelder

 

2002 - Salt Lake City (Winter)

- Call of the champions (John Williams)

 

2004 - Athenas

-  musical director - John Psathas

 

2008 - Pequim

- You and me (official song) - Chen Qigang

- Closing cerimony composer- Klaus Badelt

 

2012 - London

- Survival (official theme) - Muse

- And I will kiss, Caliban's Dream (songs) - Rick Smith (from Underworld)

- Parade of the athletes, Medal Ceremony and Spirit of the flame (David Arnold)

 

2016 - Rio de Janeiro

- Alma e coração (official theme) - Leo da Baixada, Victor Reis and Rodrigo Marques

- Brazilian fantasy, Countdown, Medal victory song and Vinicius o mascote  - Alexandre de Faria

- Opening ceremony featured Bachianas n.5 (Villa-lobos), Construção (Chico Buarque) and Antonio Pinto's score from Central Station

 

2021 - Toquio

????

 

Looking forward for your additions and corrections!