It’s been two months since David Pierce won his Olympic gold.
Pierce, the music director for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, composed the score for the opening ceremonies, closing ceremonies and medal ceremonies. The score was comprised of over five hours of original music, whittled down from 500-plus hours of orchestral recordings.
Creating the Olympic score was a 22-year journey for the Mount Royal Conservatory alumnus, who confesses his inspiration came from the ’88 Winter Games score created by fellow Canadian composer David Foster.
“Growing up in Calgary, I saw the Winter Games and made a promise to myself —the next time it came to Canada, I wanted to be the person responsible for the music,” Pierce says.
Once he was involved with the 2010 Vancouver Games, he became friends with some of the Canadian Olympic athletes and says his inspiration for the medal ceremonies came from them.
Over the course of the Games, Pierce spent a great number of nights watching the golds, silvers and bronzes being presented while the score he wrote was playing.
In August, Pierce won an Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction, beating out fellow nominee David Foster.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Pierce says. “It was a great surprise. After I’d won the award, I was happy to say, “One more gold for Canada.”
Another score for composer at Stampede
Pierce, who’s resume reads like a who’s who of popular Canadian music, is amping up for his next big spectacle: The 2011 Calgary Stampede Grandstand Show.
“We have a great show coming this July, called ‘Volpe.’ It’s a groundbreaking new production for the Stampede,” the composer says. “This is a monumental change for the Stampede. This one, by far, will be a very exciting, creative venture for everyone involved.”
Right now, there’s a certain amount of secrecy surrounding the 2011 show, Pierce says.
