Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy was lauded by critics and fans alike on many fronts: it was a better realization of Middle-earth than most thought possible, and it was clear that an incredible amount of detail went into every facet of the films. One particular facet — composer Howard Shore's excellent score — will get its due in April 2015 when the entire trilogy is screened alongside a live orchestra performance at New York City's David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.

The films will be projected on huge screens set above 250 musicians, including a full symphonic orchestra, choruses, soloist, and conductor Ludwig Wicki. The trilogy will be shown and performed two times in total — one film will be shown at 7:30pm each evening from Wednesday April 8th through Friday the 10th. On Saturday the 11th, The Fellowship of the Ring will be shown as a matinee; The Two Towers will follow that evening and The Return of the King will wrap things up on Sunday the 12th at 1:30pm.

It's not the first time such a performance has taken place — the entire trilogy was screened and accompanied by a similar symphony in Lucerne, Switzerland and Munich, Germany, in 2011. Single-film performances have taken place across the world for years, as well — in fact, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers were each performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City in 2009 and 2010, respectively. However, this marks the first time the entire trilogy has been performed in the US — and as someone who experienced the Radio City performances, I'd highly recommend anyone interested in symphonic music, film score, or Lord of the Rings look into this event. Single-movie tickets are on sale now, as well as packages for the complete trilogy.

From the archives: Good Vibrations - The Modern Musician (Top Shelf, June 2014)