Polish composer and pianist Wojciech Kilar, who also often did movie scores, passed away on Sunday at the age of 81 in his hometown of Katowice, Poland.
Jerzy Kornowicz, Assn. of Polish Composer head, confirmed the pianist's death, according to the Los Angeles Times. Kilar passed away after a long battle with an illness.
The Polish composer is best known for his work on movie scores, such as the Oscar-winning film The Painist that was directed by Roman Polanski and Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Kilar spoke with Polish-American journal PLUS in 2007 about Dracula's score with Coppola and asking what kind of music the director would want for the film. He simply replied, "I did my part. You are the composer. Do what you want."
The Telegraph's Anne Billson noted that the score in the horror film was "ominous, frequently chilling, but always melodic."
Other films Kilar worked on include Polanski's Ninth Gate, The Portrait of a Lady and We Own the Night.
The Polish composer also worked on several orchestral compositions, including the hit "Krzesany" and "Exodus," which appeared in an early trailer for Schindler's List.
image: Wikimedia Commons
