John Williams News

The man, the myth, the legend. John Williams has become one of the most popular, respected American film composers of all time

 Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) celebrated the 22nd annualConducting Workshop for Visual Media Composers with a final scoring session at Nathan Barr's Bandrika Studios in Tarzana, California on August 24. The workshop provided eight rising composers the chance to hone their conducting skills under the direction of award-winning conductor and composer Lucas Richman. Over a two-week period, the selected composers participated in several training sessions focusing on proper beat patterns, tempo changes and cueing, as well as one-on-one conducting experience with Richman. At the finale, the selected composers conducted film cues by Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams, to picture, with a 32-piece orchestra.

The Columbus Symphony announces its roster for the 2019-20 Pops Series. Both subscriptions and single tickets will go on sale Wednesday, August 28, at 10am.

Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, one of the most internationally renowned and respected classical musicians today, will perform the European debut of American composer Adam Schoenberg's Orchard in Fog at the world-renowned George Enescu Music Festival in September. She premieres the concerto with the Romanian orchestra, 'Mihail Jora' Philharmonic Orchestra Bac?u and American conductor Jayce Ogren in two special performances.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, the Utah Symphony will perform music from accomplished Latin American composers including Moncayo's a?oeHuapangoa?? and Lopez's a?oeFiesta!a??.

The Mount Vernon Virtuosi (MVV) today announce their 2019-2020 season, led by Grammy-nominated conductor, cellist, and pedagogue, Amit Peled.

Single tickets for the North Charleston POPS! 2019-2020 season concerts will go on sale Monday, August 19 at 10 AM. The 2019-2020 season features something for everyone. The concerts for the eighth season include: GREAT AMERICAN SOULBOOK (featuring guest artist Melinda Dolittle) on Saturday, September 21; GREAT MOVIES, GRAND PIANO (featuring guest pianist Rich Ridenour) on Saturday, November 2; SONGS & STORIES OF NEIL DIAMOND (featuring guest artist Jack Wright) on January 25; POPS! IN SPACE (celebrating the music of John Williams) on Saturday, March 14; and CARPENTERS REMEMBERED (featuring guest artist Michelle Berting Brett) on Saturday, April 18. All shows will be performed at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center.

John Wilson and his orchestra return to the BBC Proms in a concert titled a?oeThe Warner Brothers Storya??, taking audiences on a whirlwind trip through the mammoth catalogue of music written for 1930-1960s Hollywood movies.

Film Night And Beethoven's Ninth Symphony will finish The 2019 Tanglewood Season. See full details below!

Carnegie Hall's 2019a?"2020 season is upon us, and we are looking forward to a variety of exceptional programming and exciting new projects. A major programming highlight to note for this fall, Carnegie Hall has invited Grammy Award-winning singer Angélique Kidjo to chart the journey of African music and culture around the world for her season-long Perspectives series with four concerts including: Benin International Musical; a concert dedicated to the powerful voices of the African diaspora led by musical director Terence Blanchard featuring The E-Collective; guitarist Lionel Loueke and his trio; and a special concert marking both Ms. Kidjo's 60th birthday and the anniversary of independence for Benin and 16 other West African countries.

Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil's performance at Tynecastle Park Stadium as part of the Edinburgh International Festival on Friday, August 2, will be livestreamed beginning at 11 AM PDT / 7 PM BST.

The New York Philharmonic will present the seventh season of The Art of the Score, September 11a?"14, 2019, featuring two New York Premiere screenings, both conducted by Richard Kaufman: Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind in Concert, with John Williams's score performed live to the film, and Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho in Concert, with Bernard Herrmann's score performed live to the film. Actor and Philharmonic Board Member Alec Baldwin returns as Artistic Advisor of The Art of the Score, which explores some of the most distinctive uses of music in film.

Shattered Globe Theatre announces its 2019-20 Season, featuring two Chicago premieres: BE HERE NOW by Deborah Zoe Laufer, directed by Producing Artistic Director Sandy Shinner* a?" a bittersweet comedy about searching for happiness; and SHEEPDOG by Kevin Artigue, directed by Wardell Julius Clark a?" a love story colliding with today's headlines; followed by WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING by Andrew Bovell, directed by Elizabeth Margolius a?" a stunning mystery of love and loss that reverberates through four generations.

Create Your Own (CYO) mini-subscriptions for The Philly POPS 2019a?"2020 TOPS of the POPS season are now on sale. CYO packages can save guests up to 15% by bundling any three or more 2019a?"2020 Verizon Hall concerts, including spring shows (spring show single tickets on sale to the public on September 6) and A Philly POPS Christmas. CYO subscribers enjoy advance notice of special events, flexible ticket exchanges, ticket replacements, pre-paid parking, dining discounts, and more. More details about CYO subscriptions are available at www.phillypops.org/yourway

On Friday, 26 July Edinburgh International Festival releases its final wave of tickets for the completely free 15,000 capacity Aberdeen Standard Investments Opening Event: LA Phil at Tynecastle. The tickets are available from 10am at www.eif.co.uk.

The New York Pops will host its annual cabaret fundraiser at Feinstein's/54 Below on Monday, September 23, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.(performance at 6:30 p.m.) starring Tony and Drama Desk nominee Norm Lewis. The event is hosted by New York Pops Music Director Steven Reineke.

a?oeParisians hiss new balleta?? read The New York Times upon the première of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring (with choreography from the renowned Vaslav Nijinsky) back in 1913; it supposedly sparked riots as the audience reacted badly to this daring piece of music, though it's thought that the strange new dance moves were the real focus of their wrath. Fast forward to the 21st century, and the piece is firmly established as a classic of its era a?" the Orchestra of the Royal Academy of Music and The Juilliard School performing it as part of this year's BBC Proms season.

Pacific Symphony will present the Star Wars: A New Hope In Concert featuring screening of the complete film with Oscar-winning composer John Williams' musical score performed live to the film. The concert will be led by acclaimed conductor Carl St.Clair. Since the release of the first Star Wars movie nearly 40 years ago, the Star Wars saga has had a seismic impact on both cinema and culture, inspiring audiences around the world with its mythic storytelling, captivating characters, groundbreaking special effects and iconic musical scores composed by Williams. Fans will be able to experience the scope and grandeur of this beloved film in a live symphonic concert experience, when Star Wars: A New Hope comes to your galaxy on August 17, 2019.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced the selection of five Honorees who will receive the 2019 Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime artistic achievements.

Twenty-five years ago in Grand Rapids, the Van Andel Arena still was on the drawing board. Meijer Gardens had opened just three months earlier, but it would be many years before an outdoor amphitheater would be built as a venue for summer concerts.   At Cannonsburg Ski Area, on a steamy evening in mid-July, the Grand Rapids Symphony launched a brand new, outdoor concert experience called the Picnic Pops.   This season The Grand Rapids Symphony celebrates its 25th Anniversary of its D&W Fresh Market Picnic Pops with a series of three shows that are all time favorites with Picnic Pops audiences plus a special event capping off four weeks of concerts at Cannonsburg.