LA Phil Dedicates the Hollywood Bowl's Stage to John Williams

The LA Phil will dedicate the Hollywood Bowl’s iconic stage to John Williams. This dedication — the first in the storied history of the Bowl — honors the legendary composer and conductor whose music has inspired generations of filmgoers and helped cement the Bowl’s reputation as the world’s leading venue for symphonic film music.

Hosted by LA Phil President & CEO Kim Noltemy and Board Chair Jason Subotky, the private dedication ceremony marked the unveiling of the new stage signage. This dedication is being supported by philanthropic commitments from longtime LA Phil supporters and friends of John Williams, including Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw / The Hearthland Foundation, Jason Subotky and Anne Akiko Meyers, Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen, Seth MacFarlane, Andrew Hewitt, Michael Rapino, Bill Silva, Barbara and Jay Rasulo, Jay and Deanie Stein, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, and the Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams Family Foundation.

“Without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, nor do men in red capes,” Steven Spielberg has noted. “There is no Force, dinosaurs do not walk the Earth. We do not wonder, we do not weep, we do not believe.”

Set against the Hollywood Bowl’s iconic shell, the ceremony featured performances of Williams’ Music for Brass by the LA Phil Brass Ensemble led by conductor and 2025-26 Dudamel Fellow Miguel Sepúlveda, and Williams’ Theme from Sabrina by violinist Anne Akiko Meyers and LA Phil pianist Joanne Pearce Martin. Remarks were given by LA Phil President and CEO Kim Noltemy, Chair of the LA Phil Board of Directors Jason Subotky, LA Phil Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, and Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation Norma Edith García-Gonzalez.

Speakers reflected on Williams’ unmatched artistic legacy and his six-decade relationship with the LA Phil and the Hollywood Bowl, and a tribute video chronicled his profound influence on generations of musicians and audiences worldwide.

“Few artists have shaped the sound of our collective imagination as profoundly as John Williams. His music transcends generations, languages, and borders — inviting us to dream, to hope, and to feel. Each note carries us somewhere extraordinary: toward adventure, toward wonder, toward belief. For nearly half a century, the Hollywood Bowl has been the stage where John’s imagination meets the hearts of millions. As we dedicate the John Williams Stage at the Hollywood Bowl, we honor not only an incomparable composer and conductor, but also a dear friend whose artistry reminds us of the very purpose of music — to connect us,” says Gustavo Dudamel, Music & Artistic Director of the LA Phil.

The event culminated with the unveiling of the new John Williams Stage signage, marking a new chapter in the venue’s storied history, followed by a heartfelt address from John Williams, who shared his gratitude for the honor. “This is an honor that is unprecedented and unequaled in generosity shown by the Los Angeles Philharmonic family — my family — in making this dedication. I want to thank all of the donors in this effort, who proudly support and salute the work done by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, one of the great orchestras of the world. The uniqueness of this honor is certainly unheard of and I thank all of you.”

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