Few composers have shaped the sound of cinema as profoundly as John Williams.
Across a career spanning more than five decades, Williams has written music for more than one hundred films and created some of the most recognisable themes in film history. His scores include Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, Indiana Jones, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Home Alone, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List and the first three Harry Potter films. His official biography also highlights his long artistic partnership with Steven Spielberg and his work on all seven Star Wars films.
His achievements are extraordinary even by Hollywood standards. Williams has won five Academy Awards, including for Jaws, Star Wars, E.T. and Schindler’s List, and has received dozens of Oscar nominations across his career.
But perhaps his greatest achievement is simpler: Williams created melodies that audiences can recognise after only a few notes. The opening of Star Wars, the two-note suspense of Jaws, the flying theme from Superman and the magical sound of Harry Potter have become part of popular culture.
His music proves that a film score does not have to remain in the background. A great theme can become a character in its own right.
You can experience this music live in From Hogwarts to the Stars: The Music of John Williams and The World of John Williams, celebrating the extraordinary musical worlds created by one of cinema’s most influential composers.
