John Williams Headshot

John Williams

Date of Death: May 05, 1983 (80)

Birth Place: Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, ENGLAND

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John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is an American composer and conductor. In a career that has spanned seven decades, he has composed some of the most popular, recognizable and critically acclaimed film scores in cinema history. He has a very distinct sound that mixes romanticism, impressionism and atonal music with complex orchestration. He is most known for his collaborations with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas and has received numerous accolades including 26 Grammy Awards, five Academy Awards, seven BAFTA Awards, three Emmy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. With 54 Academy Award nominations, he is the second-most nominated person, after Walt Disney, and is the oldest Oscar nominee in any category, at 91 years old.

Williams's early work as a film composer include Valley of the Dolls (1967), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), Images (1972) and The Long Goodbye (1973). He has collaborated with Spielberg since his 1974 film The Sugarland Express, composing music for all but five of his feature films. He received five Academy Awards for Best Original Score for Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982), and Schindler's List (1993). Other memorable collaborations with Spielberg include Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), the Indiana Jones franchise (1981–2023), Jurassic Park (1993), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Catch Me If You Can (2002), War Horse (2011), Lincoln (2012), and The Fabelmans (2022). He also scored Superman (1978), the first two Home Alone films (1990–1992), and the first three Harry Potter films (2001–2004).

Williams has also composed numerous classical concertos and other works for orchestral ensembles and solo instruments. He served as the Boston Pops' principal conductor from 1980 to 1993 and is its laureate conductor. Other works by Williams include theme music for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, NBC Sunday Night Football, "The Mission" theme used by NBC News and Seven News in Australia, the television series Lost in Space and Land of the Giants, and the incidental music for the first season of Gilligan's Island. Williams announced but then rescinded his intention to retire from film score composing after the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny in 2023.

In 2022, Williams was appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Queen Elizabeth II, "for services to film music". He has received numerous honors including the Kennedy Center Honor in 2004, the National Medal of the Arts in 2009, and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016.[a] He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1998, the Hollywood Bowl's Hall of Fame in 2000, and the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in 2004. He has composed the score for nine of the top 25 highest-grossing films at the U.S. box office. In 2005, the American Film Institute selected Williams's score to Star Wars as the greatest film score of all time. The Library of Congress entered the Star Wars soundtrack into the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

John Williams Photos

John Williams STAGE CREDITS

[Broadway]
1970
David Bliss

[Broadway]
1964
Sir Gregory

[Broadway]
1961
General Allenby

[Broadway]
1955
Belmann

[Broadway]
1952
Inspector Hubbard

[Broadway]
1952
Herbert Reedbeck

[Broadway]
1949
Bishop Gregor

[Broadway]
Original Broadway Production, 1948
Duke of Norfolk

[Broadway]
1948
Mark Kennicott

[Broadway]
1946
Walter Wallace

[Broadway]
1941
Jerry Seymoure

[Broadway]
1939
Philo Smith

[Broadway]
1939
Cunningham

[Broadway]
1938
Eric Lindon

[Broadway]
1937
Mr. Slope

[Broadway]
1934
Clyde Lockert

[Broadway]
1934
Clyde Lockert

[Broadway]
1933
Sergeant Brace

[Broadway]
1933
John

[Broadway]
1931
Felix

[Broadway]
1930
Richard Chalfont

[Broadway]
1928
Lord of Teylesmore

[Broadway]
1928
Burglar

[Broadway]
1927
Douglas Helder

[Broadway]
1927
James Depew

[Broadway]
1927
Howell Jamess

[Broadway]
1926
Charles Murdock

[Broadway]
1925
Lucien

[Broadway]
1925
Gerald Shannon

[Broadway]
1924
Clifford Hope


John Williams Awards and Nominations


winner
Tony Awards - 1953 - Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

John Williams, Dial "M" for Murder

John Williams Videos

John Williams News


Lauri Porra Releases New Album 'Matter and Time' Featuring Stephen Fry


Revered Finnish composer and musician Lauri Porra has released his spectacular new album Matter And Time. Scored for narrator, large orchestra, choir, electric ensemble and vocal soloist, Matter And Time finds Porra bringing together an array of musical influences to create a hugely ambitious work, in both scope and sound. It features broadcasting legend Stephen Fry as the narrator. Listen to the album here!

Patrick Savage Performs at Melbourne Recital Centre in May


Quartz Music will present Unveiled: Icons of Cinema with Patrick Savage, Australian-born virtuoso violinist and film composer and acclaimed pianist Konrad Olszewski.

Henry Mancini Family Celebrates Late Composer's 100th Birthday with Tribute Album


The Henry Mancini family continues to celebrate what would have been the late legendary composer’s 100th birthday with the announcement of The Henry Mancini 100th Sessions – Henry Has Company. The album is the latest installment in what will be a year-long endeavor honoring the 20-time GRAMMY® and 4-time Academy Award winner whose centennial is being celebrated on April 16th. The Henry Mancini 100th Sessions – Henry Has Company will be available June 21st via Primary Wave, and the first single, “Peter Gunn,” featuring Quincy Jones, John Williams, Herbie Hancock, and Arturo Sandoval, is out now. Listen to the song here!

Columbus Symphony Unveils 24-25 Masterworks Season


Explore the upcoming 24-25 Masterworks Season by Columbus Symphony, featuring a diverse range of performances. Learn how to purchase tickets.

Ohio's Rick Sowash to Release 'VOYAGEURS' CD of Clarinet Trios


Cincinnati's Rick Sowash, a prolific, self-described “outsider composer” with some 500 published scores to his credit, will release world-premiere recordings of the final three of his 13 clarinet trios on the CD Voyageurs, available April 19, 2024, from Kickshaw Records (Kickshaw 1003).

Shuler Hensley to Direct and Star in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF IN CONCERT at Theatre Aspen


The Aspen Music Festival and School and Theatre Aspen's fifth annual co-production will be the 9-time Tony Award-winning Fiddler on the Roof in Concert. See who is starring and learn how to purchase tickets.

Cady Huffman And More Sing SONGS OF HOPE To Benefit Center for Safety and Change


Join ArtsRock for 'Songs of Hope' on April 20th, featuring Broadway stars like Cady Huffman, Georgia Stitt, and Rita Harvey.

Kate Rockwell, Daniel Yearwood, and More Will Join Boston Pops Performances


Following sold-out audiences at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and Kennedy Center Opera House, historian John Monsky will make his Boston Pops debut with The Eyes of the World: From D-Day to VE Day. Learn how to purchase tickets.

Boston Symphony Orchestra Unveils 2024�"25 Season Featuring a World Premiere & More


Boston Symphony Orchestra has revealed its 2024-25 season.

America's Largest Symphony Orchestra Will Perform 'Call Of The Champions'


Next month, the CFCArts Symphony Orchestra is bringing together two of life's greatest passions with Call of the Champions, in Longwood, presenting a unique combination of sports and music for fans of all ages.

Utah Symphony Hosts 20th annual Deer Valley�® Music Festival This Summer


This summer, the Utah Symphony will present its 20th annual Deer Valley® Music Festival at the Snow Park Amphitheater in Park City. The six-week summer festival, which runs from July 5 through August 9, features a diverse lineup showcasing the versatility of Utah Symphony musicians as they perform live music ranging from classical, to disco hits, to classic rock ‘n’ roll, and everything in between. 

Review: San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus Presents DRAG ME TO THE MOVIES! at Davies Symphony Hall


What did our critic think of SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS PRESENTS DRAG ME TO THE MOVIES! at Davies Symphony Hall?

LACO to Honor Music Talent Agents Michael Gorfaine and Sam Schwartz, and Philanthropists Shaheen and Anil Nanji


Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra will host its “2024 Gala Celebration” honoring legendary music talent agents Michael Gorfaine and Sam Schwartz, co-founders of Gorfaine/Schwartz, on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at the Skirball Cultural Center’s Ahmanson Ballroom.

STAR WARS - RETURN OF THE JEDI IN CONCERT Will Be Performed by the New Jersey Symphony


The New Jersey Symphony will present Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert with composer John Williams' venerated score performed live to the film. Conductor Nicholas Hersh will lead New Jersey Symphony in all four performances.

Symphony San Jose Announces 2024 / 2025 Season


Discover the upcoming 2024/2025 season of SYMPHONY SAN JOSE, featuring a diverse range of performances from October 2024 through June 2025.

Review: MOVIE MUSIC at The Blue Strawberry Showroom And Lounge


MOVIE MUSIC is an entertaining and sometimes emotional walk down memory lane by three skilled theatrical professionals who know a bit about storytelling. Midnight Company’s Joe Hanrahan has created a formula with his theatrical cabaret productions that continues to fill seats at The Blue Strawberry. Eileen Engel, glistened with confidence, charm, and stage presence as she sang most of the evening’s selections. Colin Healy has exceptional talent on the keys and a gift of theatrical intuition for using music to build anticipation and advance the story.

Review: THE BOY WITH THE GOLDEN FOX �" ADELAIDE FRINGE 2024 at Norwood Town Hall, Don Pyatt Hall


A tale with a genealogy stretching back to the dawn of storytelling.

Cynthia Erivo & More to be Featured in New York Philharmonic 2024-25 Season


The New York Philharmonic has revealed its 2024–25 season. Learn more about the season!

Kalamazoo Symphony Will Perform World Premiere Of New Work By Branford Marsalis


The conclusion of three-time GRAMMY award-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis' three-year residency with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra will culminate in the world premiere of 'Kalamazoo Suite,' a work written by Marsalis and commissioned by the Symphony.

Nashville Symphony Announces 2024/25 Season


Featuring more than 100 performances covering a range of genres and styles, the Nashville Symphony has announced its 2024/25 season.

John Williams FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many Broadway shows has John Williams been in?

John Williams has appeared on Broadway in 30 shows.

How many West End shows has John Williams been in?

John Williams has not appeared in the West End

What awards has John Williams been nominated for?

John Williams has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for his role in "Dial M for Murder".

What awards has John Williams won?

John Williams has won the Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for his role in "Dial M for Murder."

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