John Williams

For the senator from 1947 to 1970, see John Williams (Delaware politician).

John Williams is an award-winning American composer who is best known for his work with directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. Williams has written and conducted scores for numerous high-budget films, including Jaws, the Star Wars cycle, the Indiana Jones films, and Superman. He has also composed for numerous television shows as well as general concert music. He has been credited for bringing back large symphonic scores to the film industry and is known for his obsession for detail in his scores.

Williams attended UCLA, Los Angeles City College, where he studied composition privately. In January 1980, he was named Conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra and now currently holds the title of Boston Pops Laureate Conductor which he assumed following his retirement in December 1993, after 14 seasons. In 1993 Williams produced the scores for the major motion pictures Jurassic Park and Schindler's List; both soundtracks became top commercial sellers.

He has won many significant awards including five Oscars, seven British Academy Awards, twenty Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes, and numerous other awards.

Works[edit]

Williams has composed the music and served as a music director for more than one hundred films. Several of his works include the following (going from most recent to oldest):

• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
• The Book Thief (2013)
• Lincoln (2012)
• War Horse (2011)
• The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
• War of the Worlds (2005)
• Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
• Munich (2005)
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
• The Terminal (2004)
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
• Catch Me If You Can (2002)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
• Minority Report (2002)
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
• A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)
• The Patriot (2000)
• Angela's Ashes (1999)
• Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
• Stepmom (1998)
• Saving Private Ryan (1998)
• Amistad (1997)
• Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
• Rosewood (1997)
• Sleepers (1996)
• Nixon (1995)
• Sabrina (1995)
• Schindler's List (1993)
• Jurassic Park (1993)
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
• Far and Away (1992)
• JFK (1991)
• Hook (1991)
• Home Alone (1990)
• Presumed Innocent (1990)
• Stanley & Iris (1990)
• Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
• The Accidental Tourist (1988)
• Empire of the Sun (1987)
• The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
• The River (1984)
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
• E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
• 1941 (1979)
• Superman (1978)
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
• Jaws (1975)
• The Towering Inferno (1974)
• Tom Sawyer (1973)
• The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
• Fiddler on the Roof (1971) - Score Adaptation
• Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)
• Valley of the Dolls (1967)

John Williams Official Site

Compositions[edit]

• List of Williams Filmography Work
• List of Williams Television Work
• List of Williams Concert Work

External links[edit]

• John Williams Fan Network