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• John Williams is an American musician, composer and conductor who has written several film scores. Williams composed a four-minute piece titled "Air and Simple Gifts," that was played by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Itzhak Perlman at the inauguration of President Barack Obama, on January 20, 2009.The Caucus (NYT): A New Williams Work for a Momentous Occasion (January 20, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Name: John Towner Williams
  2. Born: February 8, 1932
  3. Genre: Film Score / soundtrack
  4. Origin: New York
  5. Active: 1952 - present
  6. Awards: Multiple Oscars, Grammys and Golden Globes

• Career

  Perhaps the most popular film composer of his time, John Williams has written some of the most memorable movie themes and anthems of the late 20th Century. After studying at Julliard for piano, he orchestrated the works of Bernard Hermann and Alfred Newman while performing the scores of Jerry Goldsmith and Henry Mancini as a session musician.

  Though Williams had won an Oscar for his score for Fiddler on the Roof in 1971, his breakthrough came when Steven Spielberg asked him to compose the music for Jaws in 1975. Using only two notes, Williams created a suspense melody that is often referenced or parodied to this day. He has scored for just about every Spielberg film since, earning Oscars for E.T. and Schindler's List in subsequent years.

  Other popular Williams scores include his work for the Star Wars films, the Superman movies, and the Indiana Jones films. He has also composed themes for the Olympics in 1984 and 1996, and continues to conduct around the world.

• Studio Albums or Notable Recordings

  • 1975: Jaws
  • 1977: Star Wars
  • 1978: Superman
  • 1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark
  • 1982: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
  • 1993: Jurassic Park
  • 1993: Schindler's List
  • 2001: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Danny Elfman | Howard Shore | Dario Marianelli | Hans Zimmer | Boston Symphony Orchestra | Yo-Yo Ma | Itzhak Perlman

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