"I was never that into the movies. Never. Even as a youngster. I became interested in movie music only because of the studio orchestras in Hollywood."
— John Williams
John Williams (1932- ) is an American composer who has composed some of the most iconic film scores of all time. Born in New York, he began piano lessons at a young age. Williams moved with his family to L.A. in 1948 and was drafted into the US Air Force in 1951. Later, he returned to NYC and worked as a jazz pianist while attending the Juilliard School. Not long after, Williams returned to L.A. and began his career in the film industry, first as a movie studio musician then as a film composer. Williams became known for his lush symphonic style which helped bring symphonic film scores back into popularity. He has scored more than a hundred movies such as Jaws, E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, Superman (1978), four Indiana Jones films, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, the Star Wars franchise, the first three Harry Potter films, and many other hugely popular films, including almost all of Steven Spielberg's films.
In addition to the film industry, Williams has composed numerous concert works, including two symphonies and many concertos. In 1980, he became the music director of the Boston Pops Orchestra for 14 highly successful seasons.
Over his remarkable five-decades long career, he has received many prestigious awards including the National Medal of Arts, 26 Grammy awards, 5 Oscars, Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and 54 Academy Award nominations. He also holds honorary degrees from 21 American universities and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
He maintains a thriving artistic relationship with many of the world’s great orchestras and remains one of America’s most distinguished and contributive musical voices. Of his three children, the youngest, Joseph Williams, is best known as the lead singer of the widely famous American rock band Toto.
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