COLLIDER: I’m so excited to talk to you this morning.
What made you want to bring back theGame of Thronesconcert experience for this encore show at the Hollywood Bowl?
RAMIN DJAWADI: Well, it’s been, what, four years?
Image via Andrés Jiménez/Matt Martin by Annamaria Ward
How do you go about creating an experience like this?
DJAWADI: Yeah, it was definitely tricky.
When we first set out to do the show, I was like a little kid.
Image via Andrés Jiménez
I had all these ideas.
So that was for the visuals, and then the same with the picture, as well, editorial-wise.
And then we somehow had to condense it.
Image via Andrés Jiménez
There were so many things to figure out, even with like, Do we go in chronological order?
And so there was definitely a lot of experimenting until we thought we got it right.
So Season 7 hadn’t even aired yet, I hadn’t written it yet.
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures
But then by the end of Season 8, even then that just became too long.
So then I had to make some decisions and take out some pieces.
And on this current show, we actually had to take it out.
Image via HBO
You recently came back into the world ofGame of Throneswith theHouse of the Dragonscore.
It definitely feels fresh while honoring the stuff that you’ve done already in that universe.
DJAWADI: Right, yeah, exactly.
That sort of connects to one of my other questions.
Do you have certain feelings or emotions that you associate with specific instruments?
DJAWADI: No, not really.
Especially withGame of Thrones, sometimes it would be a geographic thing where I would pick a certain instrument.
So many of the tracks that you’ve created forGame of Throneshave become iconic.
What would you say is your favorite one to do at this live event?
DJAWADI: Oh boy.
Oh, there are so many.
That’s where I play the piano and the organ.
I’m behind an instrument, so that is a different hat for me then, at that moment.
So that’s a fun one to perform.
I imagine being able to see the audience, you might feel the atmosphere and emotion even more.
So it’s really just the music-only show obviously.
How does your approach change per genre?
DJAWADI: Yeah, that’s always the challenge on every project when I start one.
The question is always, what’s the instrumentation?
What could it be to make the show special?
Maybe we should do some electric guitars with this, and I thought, Oh, cool.
So I ran with that idea because I thought it was a great idea.
You’ve also done stuff withWestworldwhere you’ve composed really stunning instrumental versions of existing songs.
DJAWADI: [Laughs] Oh, there’s so many that I would love to do.
I can’t even think of an example.
That’s something I actually used to do as a kid for fun.
I would take these songs that I liked and would arrange them orchestrally.
So it was really fun that I was able to do this on the show actually.
That’s amazing, I love that you have been doing this since you were a kid.
DJAWADI: Yeah, absolutely.
When Jonah said, Let’s do instrumental versions, I jumped right on that.
That was the coolest thing to do.
You’ve been a part of so many iconic franchises and moments in pop culture.
Is there a piece of media or a franchise that you would love to jump into the world of?
DJAWADI: I don’t know.
What I love about my job is that every project is so different.
Yeah, I can’t think of it, I’m blanking right now.
I’m open to anything.
That’s what I like, that projects differ so stylistically.
There are so many great filmmakers out there.
Who are some of the composers that you find yourself inspired by?
And then, of course,Star Warsis the other one.
DJAWADI: I’m just so intrigued by the story.
Where can this go from here?
And then every season it would elevate it even more and more.
I’m very curious to see what’s next in the second season.
DJAWADI: Right, yeah exactly.
you could tell there’s definitely war coming so that’ll be exciting to see what they’ll do.
DJAWADI: Simply being at the Hollywood Bowl is very special.
That’s actually where we ended the last show on our last tour, which was in 2019.
So now to be back at the Bowl is very special.
It’s just such an iconic place, and performing there, it’s just amazing.
So I hope that everybody that comes out will be equally excited.
