WASO’s 2024 Olympics Playlist

Spyridon Samaras: The Olympic Hymn (1896)

You can’t talk about Olympic music without mentioning the first ever theme of the Games. Greek opera/operetta composer, Spyridon Samaras, was asked to write the opening theme for the first ever modern Olympic Games in 1896. The Olympic Hymn (or Olympic Anthem) is a choral work with lyrics based on a poem by Kostis Palamas. 62 years after its premiere, the hymn became the official Olympics theme and has been played at every Olympics opening and closing ceremony since.

Antonio Vivaldi: L’Olimpiade (1743)

Vivaldi’s three-act opera telling the story of heroic athlete Megacles predates the modern Olympic Games, taking its inspiration from the ancient Greek format. Once the athlete arrives in Greece to compete, drama and tragedy ensue as a love triangle prompts questions around victory and sacrifice.

Vangelis: Chariots of Fire (1981)

Vangelis’ theme for the 1981 British film Chariots of Fire is top of mind for many when thinking of the best pieces of classical music to celebrate the Olympics. The inspirational earworm featured on the soundtrack to the story of two British athletes - Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams - competing in the 1924 Olympic Games (also in Paris!). The score was so good that it won Vangelis the Academy Award for Best Original Soundtrack.

Richard Strauss: Olympische Hymne (1936)

This rousing theme for chorus and orchestra was commissioned for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Unusually, the text (a three-verse poem) was decided by a competition, won out of 3000 entrants by German actor Robert Lubhan. The main musical theme is said to have come from a symphony which Strauss had been working on but abandoned.

John Williams: The Olympic Spirit (1988)

American composer John Williams (known for the soundtracks to such films as Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, Star Wars and Harry Potter) wrote four pieces for the Olympic Games between 1984 and 2002. The second of these, The Olympic Spirit, was commissioned by NBC for their coverage of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

Jean Weinzweig: Divertimenti for Solo Flute and Strings (1948)

In the first half of the 20th century, music was not just an accompaniment to the Olympics, it was also one of five arts categories for which medals could be won (along with architecture, literature, painting and sculpture). During this time, judging panels included esteemed composers such as Stravinsky, Ravel and Fauré. Canadian composer Jean Weinzweig won silver during the 1948 Summer Olympics in London - the highest medal given that year in the instrumental category - with his Divertimenti for Solo Flute and Strings.

Joseph Suk: Towards A New Life (1932)

Another notable silver medallist in the art of composition was Czech composer Joseph Suk, who was awarded in 1932 for his march Towards A New Life. The bright, optimistic sounds of the brass and snare fanfare were actually part of an unpublished military march which Suk started several years earlier.

Philip Glass: The Olympian: Lighting of the Torch and Closing (1984)

Commissioned by the Olympic Committee for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, this work played a key role in that year’s opening ceremony. Glass said of the commission, “I can think of no event to compare with the Olympic games which makes us so conscious of our shared humanity, our common fate. Surely it is a rare event in the life of any artist when he is asked to make a personal contribution to such a public event. It has made this for me a uniquely challenging and inspiring experience.”

Leo Arnaud: Bugler’s Dream (1964)

Originally written in 1958 for Felix Slatkin’s album Charge, Arnaud’s fanfare Bugler’s Dream from The Charge Suite became associated with the Olympics after the American ABC started using it for their coverage of the Olympic Games from 1964. To this day, it’s a piece that many Americans associate with the famous sporting event.

Michael Torke: JAVELIN (1996)

Written for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, this majestic piece evokes the image of a javelin twirling and gliding though the air with a triumphant, hopeful spirit. It was commissioned by the Olympics Committee that year to celebrate the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s 50th Anniversary.