John Williams News

One of America's most versatile and prolific living composers, Andre Previn, joins Pacific Symphony as the honored guest and focus of the 15th American Composers Festival (ACF). Previn, who has been called one of America's least easily categorized musicians, began his remarkable career as a Hollywood "wunderkind" and a best-selling jazz pianist. Now 86, Previn has received four Academy Awards for his work in film, 10 Grammy Awards for his recordings (plus one more for his Lifetime Achievement), and he is also an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He's held a series of major conducting posts, including the L.A. Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra, but now exclusively composes. The concert is led by Music Director Carl St.Clair, whose great admiration for the legend shaped this year's ACF to reveal the scope of Previn's prowess as a composer. 

The world's preeminent classical guitar competition, the Parkening International Guitar Competition, has selected 15 standout competitors for its fourth triennial competition. Representing 11 countries, they will vie for the largest prize purse among guitar competitions, competing at Pepperdine University from today, May 28, through Saturday, May 30, 2015, on the University's campus in Malibu, California.

Guest artists Sierra Boggess and Steven Pasquale join The New York Pops and Music Director Steven Reineke to kick off the orchestra's 2015-2016 season on Friday, October 9 at 8:00PM in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage. The program, My Favorite Things: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein, honors the beloved music of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. On Friday, March 11 at 8:00 PM, Jeremy Jordan and Betsy Wolfe are featured with The New York Pops and Maestro Reineke in 42nd on 57th: Broadway Today, an evening of modern musical theater hits.

The final recording and complete box set of The Nielsen Project - the New York Philharmonic's acclaimed multi-season survey of the six symphonies and three concertos by Danish composer Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) - will be released June 9, 2015, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth. The final recording features Nielsen's complete concertos: the Flute Concerto with Principal Flute Robert Langevin, Clarinet Concerto with Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill, and Violin Concerto with Danish violinist Nikolaj Znaider.

Orange County, Calif.—May 20, 2015—A grand, meaningful and operatic evening of music awaits, as Music Director Carl St.Clair leads Pacific Symphony's final concert of his 25th anniversary season, “Fire and Water,” a program representing the innovative and defining characteristics of the orchestra. Furthering St.Clair's commitment to new music, the evening includes the world premiere of “Siren Songs” by Laura Karpman, accompanied by video and animation by Tempe Hale, who has used footage from Gregory MacGillivray, Academy-Award nominated cinematographer of films such as “The Living Sea” and “Dolphins.” Karpman's piece explores women and the ocean and is based on a set of poems by internationally known poet, Amy Gerstler, who is also a professor at UC Irvine. For the fiery finale, St.Clair leads the orchestra in selections from Wagner's epic “Götterdämmerung,” (“Twilight of the Gods”), featuring Metropolitan Opera superstar, Deborah Voigt, who brings her beautiful and powerful voice to Brünnhilde's famous “Immolation Scene.” 

One might easily call Susan Winter's Monday night show at Don't Tell Mama, A Woman for All Seasons: Part Two as half its numbers were in the first show by this name she performed during a run starting last September at the Metropolitan Room. Winter is the kind of class act that would've been lauded in nightclubs way back when, as she's a steward of the American Songbook at its most genuine but with a side of jazz influence.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra today announced an addition to its 2015 summer programs. The Music of Led Zeppelin combines the power of a full rock band with the Baltimore Symphony on Saturday, August 1 at 8 p.m. at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

On Today, May 16, at 2:30 pm at Richardson Auditorium, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) presents Lemony Snicket's musical performance piece for children The Composer is Dead, a not-to-be-missed family concert in the grand tradition of Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf.' Narrator Julian Grant unveils and interrogates every instrument of the orchestra as he solves Lemony Snicket's playful and perplexing murder mystery set in the symphony hall. Blending in more magical and bewitching music, the concert also features John Williams' Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Suite and Anatol Liadov's Baba-Yaga, Op. 56. PSO. Music Director Rossen Milanov conducts.

New Dramatists, Tony Honor recipient and the nation's premier playwright development laboratory, just honored Tony Award winning actor and Chairman of the Board of The Actors Fund, Brian Stokes Mitchell with their 2015 Distinguished Achievement Award at its 66th Annual Spring Luncheon tribute. The event featured musical performances from some of Mitchell's most memorable shows by Tony Award winner Leslie Uggams (King Hedley II, Hallelujah Baby), Nicolette Robinson (Brooklynite, TV's 'The Affair,' 'Hart of Dixie') and Leslie Odom, Jr. (Hamilton, NBC's 'Smash'), and Tony nominated Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Avenue Q, Carnival at City Center Encores!). BroadwayWorld brings you photos from inside the event below!

Elevate your senses and your heart rate with a BNY Mellon Grand Classics concert that takes you from high above the quiet world to a pulse-pounding turn on the dance floor on May 29 and 31 at Heinz Hall.

NEW DRAMATISTS, Tony Honor recipient and the nation's premier playwright development laboratory, will honor Tony Award winning actor and Chairman of the Board of The Actors Fund, Brian Stokes Mitchell with their 2015 Distinguished Achievement Award at its 66th Annual Spring Luncheon tribute.

Orange County, Calif.-May 11, 2015-One of America's most versatile and prolific living composers, Andre Previn, joins Pacific Symphony as the honored guest and focus of the 15th American Composers Festival (ACF). Previn, who has been called one of America's least easily categorized musicians, began his remarkable career as a Hollywood "wunderkind" and a best-selling jazz pianist. Now 86, Previn has received four Academy Awards for his work in film, 10 Grammy Awards for his recordings (plus one more for his Lifetime Achievement), and he is also an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire. He's held a series of major conducting posts, including the L.A. Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra, but now exclusively composes. The concert is led by Music Director Carl St.Clair, whose great admiration for the legend shaped this year's ACF to reveal the scope of Previn's prowess as a composer. 

CLEVELAND – Individual tickets for The Cleveland Orchestra's 2015 Blossom Music Festival and for the Summers@Severance series of three concerts go on sale today, May 12, online atclevelandorchestra.com, by telephone (216-231-1111), and in person at the Severance Hall Ticket Office.  

Maestro Keith Lockhart chats about the 2015 season of the Boston Pops, Benadette Peters, Audra MacDonald and many other performers from the Great White Way

The Cleveland Orchestra's annual free community concert takes place this year on Mall B in downtown Cleveland, due to construction on Public Square. Located between the Global Center for Health Innovation and Cleveland Public Auditorium on St. Clair Avenue, Mall B is a grassy area that is an ideal location to bring a blanket for the concert. This year's concert is performed on Wednesday, July 1 at 9:00 p. m.

CLEVELAND – Individual tickets for The Cleveland Orchestra's 2015 Blossom Music Festival and for the Summers@Severance series of three concerts go on sale Tuesday, May 12, online atclevelandorchestra.com, by telephone (216-231-1111), and in person at the Severance Hall Ticket Office.  

The 130th season of the Boston Pops Orchestra is a celebration of Conductor Keith Lockhart's 20th anniversary, and the opening night festivities included balloons, cupcakes, and an exquisite cake, with sizzle provided by Tony Award-winning vocalist and actress Bernadette Peters. Music ranged from Williams to Rossini, Rodgers and Hammerstein to Sondheim, selections from the voluminous canon of Old Blue Eyes, and, of course, John Philip Sousa.

ABC News' Nick Watt got an exclusive first look when he toured the set of the highly anticipated next chapter of the famed space saga STAR WARS. Check it out below!

BUFFALO, NY - The BPO is planning a summer season that sees them travel to 12 Western New York venues and perform 14 concerts in a month's time.