Hans Zimmer brings Next Level tour to Canada with 19-piece band, messages of unity

Hans Zimmer, the German-born composer behind the scores for Dune, The Lion King, Inception, and Pirates of the Caribbean, is preparing to bring his first major live concert tour across North America this winter—and he's making a particular point about Canada.

"If this was a soccer match, I'd be rooting for Canada," Zimmer said in an interview from his Los Angeles studio, as Canada and the United States navigate an escalating trade war. "There's so much right about Canada. It's such a wonderful cultural place. It's always a joke about how nice Canadians are, but you know something? It's the truth! Especially at this moment in time, I am so on your side."

The 69-year-old is conscious of the territory he's entering. In April, he made international headlines after pausing a concert in Sweden to deliver an expletive-laden critique of U.S. President Donald Trump. "I got into trouble before because I've said some maybe not quite flattering things about the American president and, you know, his bunch of hooligans that he seems to call his whatever, his government," he said.

He called the current global political climate a "catastrophe." Yet he frames his touring purpose differently: connection, not division.

"I'm not liking the world at the moment," Zimmer said. "But I like what we get to do, because we get to connect with people and people get to connect with each other. For just the three hours that we play, things seem to be OK. The world seems to be all right."

The Next Level tour kicks off February 17 in Hartford, Connecticut, and includes stops in Ottawa, Quebec, Hamilton and Vancouver. Zimmer performs on keyboards and guitar alongside a 19-piece band of musicians from around the world. The show is a high-energy rock concert format, drawing from his scores and performed repertoire.

He has a longtime creative partnership with director Denis Villeneuve, who is from Quebec. Zimmer scored both of Villeneuve's Dune films.

"Music moves freely across borders even when other things can't," Zimmer said. "Let's go dance, let's have a good time, let us hug each other for a second at least."