The Lord of the Rings was directed by Peter Jackson and features a score composed by Howard Shore. The trilogy earned a total of 17 Academy Awards®, including three for music. Beyond critical acclaim, the music from the films also enjoyed wide commercial success, collectively selling over 7 million albums.

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The music for all three films was composed, orchestrated and conducted by Howard Shore. His music was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, with contributions from two choirs: London Voices and London Oratory School Schola.
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There’s probably never been as ambitious a film score as Howard Shore’s 10-hour epic for the “Lord of the Rings” series... the music is rich and complex, drawing on a vast range of styles and exotic instruments to evoke J.R.R. Tolkien’s world... Shore uses an elaborate leitmotif technique (where musical themes are associated with specific characters or ideas, and are developed across the entire series) to hold the sprawling tale together. Lush, beautiful and full of intriguing surprises, it’s no wonder that it’s become one of the most popular film scores ever written. - Stephen Brookes for the Washington Post, May, 2008