Seven times John Williams wowed the world – and it wasn’t on a film!

This remarkable man almost single-handedly revived the fortunes of the orchestral film score in the 1970s, and half a century later is still knocking them out of the park – he is rumoured to be currently writing the score for the fifth Indiana Jones film that is due for release in 2023.

The LSO and John Williams have become synonymous since the days of the original Star Wars films – see this 2017 blog celebrating 40 years since the 1977 release of ‘A New Hope’ – an association of which we are proud and thankful. Although we have not worked directly together for some years, we and he still remember those times with mutual fondness and an admiration that has not dimmed.

Today, on John’s 90th birthday, we join the chorus of congratulations from all corners of the music world in wishing him the happiest of birthdays and here’s to many more!

In celebration, we thought that rather than exploring what we all know to be John’s greatest works for film – Star Wars, Superman, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones; to name but four of the great franchises with which the LSO has had the privilege to be associated – we would take a look at some of his work outside of film. His concertos are lesser-known but every bit as wow-some as his film scores, and he has written themes and incidental music for some of the biggest occasions: the centennial of the Statue of Liberty, the 350th anniversary of the city of Boston, the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Columbus in America, Leonard Bernstein’s 70th birthday … he has even written a musical!

Here are seven times John Williams proved that he can do it all:

1. The Five Sacred Trees – Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra
This piece was composed in 1993 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the New York Philharmonic and was written for the orchestra’s Principal Bassoon Judith LeClair. Judith recorded the work with the LSO in 1996 (the only existing recording), conducted by John himself.

2. Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
Written in 1969 for then-LSO Principal Flute Peter Lloyd, it was not until 1980 that the work received its premiere with André Previn on the podium at Fairfield Halls in Croydon. The LSO made the world premiere recording a year later, with Leonard Slatkin on the podium. It was coupled with his Violin Concerto with soloist Mark Peskanov (see below).

3. Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
John’s first wife, the actress Barbara Ruick, suggested to John that he write a Violin Concerto, but it was not begun until shortly after her tragically early death in 1974 and was dedicated to her memory. Peskanov and Slatkin brought the work to be performed in London in December 1981, a few months after its premiere with the St Louis Symphony.

4. Olympic Fanfare and Theme
The fanfare and theme were used in the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the first time the games had been held in the city since 1932. It turned out to be just one of many amazing contributions to the event by some great musicians: Herbie Hancock’s ‘Field Theme’, Giorgio Morodor’s ‘Track Theme’, Burt Bacharach’s ‘Swimming Theme’ and Quincy Jones’ ‘Gymnastics Theme’. John also contributed music to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City; and the summer 1987 Special Olympics World Games held in Notre Dame and South Bend, and 1989 winter games in Lake Tahoe and Reno.

5. Air and Simple Gifts
Barack Obama officially became US President in 2009 to the sounds of John’s music, which was based on the Shaker hymn Simple Gifts by Joseph Brackett. Itzhak Perlman (violin), Gabriela Montero (piano), Anthony McGill (clarinet) and Yo-Yo Ma (cello) performed at the inauguration ceremony, making it the first classical quartet to feature.

6. Violin Concerto No 2
Proving that age is no barrier to creative endeavour – and indeed perhaps even showing that the older a composer is, the greater the ability to make the sort of insight and observations many younger artists cannot – the then 89-year-old’s second concerto for violin (do we count Treesong, for Gil Shaham, in 2000 as a concerto?) was written for Anne-Sophie Mutter and premiered in 2021 at Tanglewood Festival with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with which John has had long association.

7. Pops concerts, Sculpture Court, Barbican Centre, August 1982
We couldn’t not mention this series of concerts, which has become something of a legend in LSO history. Held on the roof of the Barbican Hall – a part of the Barbican complex called the Sculpture Court – this series of eight concerts was performed a few months after the Barbican opened 40 years ago in March 1982. John Williams conducted his own film scores including ET, Superman and Star Wars along with Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra and Holst’s The Planets, works which are well known to have provided him with inspiration for his film scores. Typically, John says he’s not a great conductor, but we beg to differ!

Happy birthday John!