John Williams News

In celebration of Star Wars Day, single tickets for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's performances of the first two films in the Star Wars: Film Concert Series go on sale on Friday, May 4, at 10 am. The NJSO presents screenings of the complete films Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back with Oscar-winning composer John Williams' musical scores performed live in November 2018 and January 2019, respectively.

A concert that will convey the audience 'in a universe far, far away ...' will be held on May 4, 2018 by MOYSA, the Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall. The concert (Friday, May 4 at 20.00, 'Ioannis Vellidis' conference center) is part of the May Day 'May the Fourth' World Day, which will be celebrated in Thessaloniki under the Thessaloniki Comic Convention 'The Comic Con 4' 04-06 / 05/2018).

A play in two parts, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child officially opens on Broadway tonight, April 22 at the Lyric Theatre (214 West 43rd Street, New York, NY). Let's see what the critics have to say!

5-STAR THEATRICALS (formerly Cabrillo Music Theatre) continues its 2017-2018 season with the Thousand Oaks premiere of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Peter Parnell (based on the Victor Hugo Novel and songs from the Disney film), musical direction by Dan Redfeld, choreography by Michelle Elkin and directed by Misti B. Wills. THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME opens on Friday, April 20, 2017 and runs through Sunday, April 29, 2018 at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.  

Nicholas Buc (Conductor) leads the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs for a live performance of John Williams' score whilst HARRY POTTER AND THE RPISONER OF AZKABAN plays out on screen for a breathtaking experience.

On Saturday, May 12 at 8:00 p.m., celebrated Greek vocalist Maria Farantouri returns to Carnegie Hall after more than two decades for a performance celebrating the music of legendary composer Mikis Theodorakis in Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage.

Molissa Fenley and Company, in collaboration with percussionist Frank Cassara and violist Ralph Farris, will present an evening of dance and live music, with scores by four contemporary composers. The program features four dances from Fenley's Water Table, three of which are New York premieres. The program also includes a new configuration of Fenley's 1979 work Mix. Performances are June 21–23 (Thursday–Saturday) at 8pm, at Danspace Project, 131 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003.

The Orpheum Theatre announced today that the Memphis Symphony Orchestra will perform Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in Concert on October 6-7, 2018 as part of the Harry Potter Film Concert Series. The concert will feature Robert Moody conducting the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in performing live, to picture, every note from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  Audiences will be able to relive the magic of the entire film in high-definition on a 40-foot screen while hearing the Memphis Symphony Orchestra perform John Williams' unforgettable score live. Tickets go on sale today, April 27 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster or the Orpheum Theatre box office. 

The Harry Potter Film Concert Series returns to the Morrison Center with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert, the second film in the Harry Potter series. On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 7:30 PM.

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John Bruce Yeh, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's long-serving assistant principal clarinet and solo E-flat clarinet, takes center stage on Liquid Melancholy: Clarinet Works of James M Stephenson, a new album of clarinet showpieces for orchestra, chamber ensemble, and clarinet-piano duo by the prolific, award-winning American composer (Cedille Records CDR 90000 176).

San Diego Symphony Announces 2018-2019 Season Featuring First Concerts Conducted by Rafael Payare as Music Director Designate, 14 Works New to San Diego Symphony Repertoire,

A new Southbank Centre exhibition, Concrete Dreams, is announced today, bringing to life the creative spirit of iconic arts venues, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room and celebrating their public reopening after two years of extensive restoration and redesign.

Rafael Payare's highly anticipated inaugural concerts as San Diego Symphony's Music Director Designate take place as part of the annual January Festival. It will mark his only Jacobs Masterworks appearance this season and will feature acclaimed cellist Alisa Weilerstein and the orchestra's first-ever performance of Benjamin Britten's Symphony for Cello and Orchestra. He will also perform in a special Discovery Night concert on January 10, with all funds from this concert going to support the San Diego Symphony's Learning and Community Engagement programs.

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.), the global leader in rights management, is proud to present legendary film composer John Williams with a special award bearing his name in recognition of his incomparable status as one of the greatest film and television composers of our time. The John Williams Award will be presented for the first time at the 34th annual BMI Film, TV & Visual Media Awards on Wednesday, May 9th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.  The private black-tie event will be hosted by BMI President and CEO Mike O'Neilland BMI Vice President Creative - Film, TV & Visual Media Doreen Ringer-Ross.

The Harry Potter Film Concert Series returns to Sony Centre for the Performing Arts with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert, the third film in the Harry Potter Series. On May 16-18, 2018, Jeffrey Schindler will conduct the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in performing the magical score live from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban while the entire film plays in high-definition on a 40-foot screen.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic and Music Director Donato Cabrera announced the 2018 - 2019 concert season today, which will include 13 performances from September 15, 2018 - May 11, 2019 at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts.  This marks the orchestra's 20th concert season and Cabrera's 5th season as Music Director for the Las Vegas Philharmonic.  The upcoming season begins with works by Leonard Bernstein as part of a world-wide celebration of his 100th birthday and the orchestra performs selections from West Side Story and Candide.  Other composers featuring prominently in the new season include Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, John Williams and others. The critically-acclaimed horror film Psycho will be presented in full on the large screen with the orchestra performing the entire spine-tingling score live in a concert for film and music lovers alike in October.   In November, a piano concerto composed by Philip Glass and commissioned by the Las Vegas Philharmonic as part of a consortium of orchestras will be performed by pianist Simone Dinnerstein.  Two holiday concerts in December will delight with nostalgia and feature a special reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas as well as powerful vocal performances by Kristen Hertzenberg and Travis Cloer.  Once again, we dedicate an entire evening to epic film scores by John Williams and perform music spanning four decades of fan favorites from films including Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Harry Potter, and Memoirs of a Geisha in January.  The orchestra features two of its own principal musicians, De Ann Letourneau (violin) and Andrew Smith (cello), as guest soloists in February's An Evening of Brahms.  For the first time, the orchestra is joined by the group Time For Three, an American trio that boasts an uncommon mix of virtuosity and showmanship on music from Bach to Brahms in addition to originals and their own arrangements of everything from bluegrass to mash-ups of hits by the Beatles, Justin Timberlake and more at the March 2019 concert.  In April, the second installment of the Music Unwound initiative with the National Endowment for the Humanities explores Czech composer Antonin Dvo?ak and his New World Symphony.  The Philharmonic's chorus-in-residence, the Las Vegas Master Singers will perform at the holiday concerts in addition to May's presentation of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. Marking the third year of the orchestra's American German Cultural Exchange Fellowship, violinist Thomas Reif will perform Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in May's season finale. In a finale befitting a 20th Anniversary celebration, acclaimed vocalists Felicia Moore (soprano), Kelley O'Connor (Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano), Sean Panikkar (tenor) and Raymond Aceto (bass) will also perform on Beethoven's Symphony No. 9.

It's getting to that time of year when we think about things that are truly American. We might think about baseball games and hot dogs.  There's also,  of course, the annual Fourth of July concert on PBS featuring Maestro Keith Lockhart and the world famous Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. If you can't wait until the 4th however, you can catch this true American institution on Sunday, April 8 at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, MD.  Performances are at 2 PM and 7 PM.

Sarasota Opera is pleased to announce the line-up for the 2018 season of 'HD at the Opera House' and "Classic Movies at the Opera House".  This weekly series of filmed performances has allowed Sarasota Opera to expand its programming from the fall and winter season to year-around. The 2018 "HD at the Opera House" series will open on Sunday, May 20th and run through September 30th and will include presentations of Ballet and Theater from some of the world's most famous venues and companies including the Royal Opera House; Teatro alla Scala in Milan; Royal Shakespeare Company; Vienna State Opera; and the Royal Ballet. Each presentation will begin at 1:30pm.

Individual concert tickets for The Cleveland Orchestra's 2018 Blossom Music Festival 50th Anniversary Season go on sale Tuesday, May 1 at 9:00 a.m., online at clevelandorchestra.com, by telephone (216-231-1111), and in person at the Severance Hall Ticket Office.