Featured In
ALBUMJohn Williams in Tokyo (Live at Suntory Hall, 2023)Saito Kinen Orchestra, John Williams & Stéphane Denève
Albums by John Williams
ALBUMJohn Williams in Tokyo (Live at Suntory Hall, 2023)Saito Kinen Orchestra, John Williams & Stéphane Denève
ALBUMSolo: A Star Wars Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack/Deluxe Edition)John Powell & John Williams
ALBUMIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)John Williams
ALBUMThe Fabelmans (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)John Williams
ALBUMObi-Wan Kenobi (Original Soundtrack)John Williams, Natalie Holt & William Ross
ALBUMJohn Williams: A Gathering of FriendsJohn Williams, Yo-Yo Ma & New York Philharmonic
ALBUMSolo: A Star Wars Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack/Deluxe Edition)John Powell & John Williams
ALBUMStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)John Williams
ALBUMAcross The Stars (Deluxe Edition)Anne-Sophie Mutter, Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles & John Williams
ALBUMAcross the StarsAnne-Sophie Mutter, Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles & John Williams
John Williams's Popular Music Videos
Across The Stars (Love Theme) [From "Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones"]
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Recording Arts Orchestra of Los Angeles & John Williams
Imperial March (From "Star Wars" / Live)
Vienna Philharmonic & John Williams
Imperial March from Empire Strikes Back
John Williams
Hedwig's Theme (From "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" / Live)
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Vienna Philharmonic & John Williams
Imperial March from Empire Strikes Back
John Williams & Los Angeles Philharmonic
Theme (From "Jurassic Park" / Live)
Vienna Philharmonic & John Williams
Imperial March (From "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" / Live)
Vienna Philharmonic & John Williams
Main Title (From "Star Wars: A New Hope" / Live)
Vienna Philharmonic & John Williams
Raiders March (From "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" / Live)
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Vienna Philharmonic & John Williams
Williams: Marion's Theme (From "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark")
Anne-Sophie Mutter, Boston Symphony Orchestra & John Williams
Artist Playlists
John Williams Essentials
His dramatic scores have powered some of Hollywood's greatest blockbusters.
John Williams Video Essentials
John Williams: Influences
Discovering the ingredients for creating an indelibly epic movie theme.
Artist Biography
The music of John Williams is the sound of pop culture. His vibrant themes are indispensable to the magic of the American blockbuster, from the menacing two-note motif of Jaws, to the stellar pomp of Star Wars, to the poignant violin theme of Schindler’s List. Born in 1932 in New York, Williams studied composition in Los Angeles before returning to his hometown to work as a jazz pianist. His first break came with his 1971 Oscar-winning score for Fiddler on the Roof, rocketing a career that would bring back the epic style of orchestral film music that Erich Korngold had pioneered in Hollywood’s Golden Age. In the 1970s, he began two collaborations that would define his legacy. Williams' decades-long partnership with Steven Spielberg started with the director's theatrical debut, The Sugarland Express, and came to encompass E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Minority Report, among other movies. Williams’ other great collaboration, with George Lucas, resulted in the iconic music of Star Wars, whose influence on film composition has been immeasurable. His use of motifs, such as the adventurous outbursts in Jurassic Park and the heroic brass in Raiders of the Lost Ark, makes the music inseparable from the scenes it enlivens. But it's worth exploring Williams' concert music, too: A highlight is the rhapsodic and technically demanding Violin Concerto No. 2 (2021), for soloist Anne-Sophie Mutter.
Hometown
Queens, NY, United States
Genre
Soundtrack