PARIS: Tributes poured in on March 30 for Maurice Jarre, the Oscar-winning French composer of music scores for such timeless films as Doctor Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia, who died at age 84. Jarre died in Los Angeles on Sunday after suffering from cancer, a spokesman for his son Jean-Michel Jarre said.

Hollywood’s most decorated composer, Jarre had written over 150 scores for a range of films, working with directors like John Huston, Alfred Hitchcock and Franco Zeffirelli.

He won his first Oscar for Lawrence of Arabia in 1962 and three years later was awarded a second statuette for Doctor Zhivago. Both films were directed by David Lean.

A third Oscar came in 1984 for best original music score for A Passage to India, which he wrote for a full symphonic orchestra and marked yet another collaboration with Lean.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy paid tribute to a “great composer,” praising his “majestic and full-bodied works, popular and classical music.”

Jarre had also written the score for Witness and 1989 composed the music for Dead Poets Society. Other scores include Ghost in 1990 and I Dreamed of Africa in 2000.

Other than the three Oscars, Jarre won countless accolades for his scores including Golden Globes and BAFTA British film awards.

During his last public appearance in Europe, he was awarded a Golden Bear at the Berlin film festival in recognition of his life’s work.

Jarre was to be cremated on April 2 in Los Angeles.