Music of Crisis and Connection: James Everingham and Adam Lukas on Composing Music for Frozen Planet II

Adam Lukas (left) and James Everingham

When most orchestras commission a new work, they usually ask the composer to produce music that fits on a standard concert program, like a 10-minute overture or a 45-minute symphony.

But when BBC Earth approached composers Adam Lukas and James Everingham — along with the two-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer — to compose the score for its latest nature documentary series, Frozen Planet II, the show's producers needed six hours of music. Even for this trio of seasoned composers, that's a tall order to fill.

Besides creating a sonic universe to accompany Frozen Planet II's icy, snow-capped visuals, these composers had to help fulfill the show's core mission: introducing viewers not only to the daily lives of polar bears, penguins, and snow monkeys — but also the ways climate change is compounding the difficulties they face surviving in the coldest regions of the world.

"The series is tackling the issue of the climate crisis," Lukas says on the latest episode of the Classical Post podcast. "We knew we wanted to tell the stories of the animals in their habitats in a way that helps people connect with them and care about them in a genuine way. That's something Hans has spent his career being the best at."

In this episode, I sit down with Lukas and Everingham to discuss the process of creating the series's score — which involved more than 100 people working for three years while navigating lockdown restrictions. They also share stories about collaborating with the legendary Zimmer, the magical time they spent in the studio with the Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora, and how they define success.

Frozen Planet II is available to stream in the U.S. on Prime Video, Vudu, and Apple TV.

Follow the Classical Post podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or other platforms.

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