OnMusic Dictionary

Composer

John Towner Williams

Info

Born 02/08/1932
Birth Location Floral Park, New York
Died -
Death Location -
Nationality USA
Era 20th Century
Genres Film/Television Music

Biography

John moved to Los Angeles with his family when he was 16. He went to UCLA and studied compositions privately with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. He went into the Air Force before returning to New York to attend the Julliard School where he studied piano with Madame Rosina Lhevinne. While in New York he also worked as a jazz pianist in both clubs and on recordings.

Williams returned to Los Angeles where he began his career in the film studios working with such composers as Bernard Herrmann, Alfred Newman, and Franz Waxman. He went on to write music for many television programs in the 1960s, winning two Emmys for his work. In January 1980, John Williams was named nineteenth conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra since its founding in 1885. Mr. Williams assumed the title of Boston Pops Laureate Conductor following his retirement in December 1993.

Main Works

Film Scores:
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Jaws
Star Wars 1,2 & 3
The Witched of Eastwick
Far and Away
Home Alone 1 & 2
Jurassic Park
Nixon
Hook
Schindler's List
JFK
Born on the fourth of July
Indiana Jones 1,2 & 3
The Accidental Tourist
Stanley and Iris
Empire of the Sun
Sabrina
The Lost World
Presumed Innocent

Orchestral:
Concerto for Bassoon (1995)
Concerto for Cello (1994)
Concerto for Flute and Violin
Concerto for Clarinet
Concerto for Tuba
Concerto for Trumpet (1996)

Other Themes:
Liberty Fanfare (for the rededication of the Statue of Liberty)
Were Looking Good! (Special Olympics theme)
Themes for Summer Olympic Games 1984, 1988, 1996

Last Updated: 2013-02-12 22:40:47

Composer

John Towner Williams

Info

Biography

Main Works

Share