Oscars 2014: Academy to hold concert for song, score nominees

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences plans to present a concert at UCLA’s Royce Hall showcasing the year’s Oscar-nominated scores and songs on Feb. 27, three days before the March 2 Academy Awards.

The proposed concert, announced to academy members in an email from music branch governors Charles Fox, Arthur Hamilton and David Newman, will feature a symphony orchestra made up of Los Angeles studio musicians performing suites of the nominated scores. The composer of a given score, if available and amenable, would conduct the performance.

The evening would also include performances of the nominated songs, showcasing either or both the singer and songwriter, as well brief onstage conversations with composers about their work.

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“This concert is truly a milestone in Oscar music history,” the governors wrote, “placing Oscar-nominated music center stage in what will hopefully become an annual event.”

It is unclear whether the planned concert would preclude performances during the Oscar telecast. In 2009, the compression of song nominees into a medley prompted one of the nominees, Peter Gabriel, to withdraw in protest.

Last year’s show, produced by Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, featured all five nominated songs, along with a musical tribute segment featuring numbers from “Chicago,” “Dreamgirls” and “Les Miserables” as well as performances from Shirley Bassey, Barbra Streisand and host Seth MacFarlane.

With Meron and Zadan re-upping for the 2014 telecast, it’s hard to imagine the musically minded duo going cold turkey.

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