John Williams
As one of the best known, awarded, and
financially successful composers in US history, illustrating why he is
"America's composer" time and again. With a massive list of awards
that includes over 41 Oscar nominations (five wins), twenty-odd Gold and
Platinum Records, and a slew of Emmy (two wins), Golden Globe (three wins),
Grammy (18 wins), National Board of Review (including a Career Achievement
Award), Saturn (six wins), and BAFTA (seven wins) citations, along with
honorary doctorate degrees numbering in the teens, Williams is undoubtedly one
of the most respected composers for Cinema. He's led countless national and
international orchestras, most notably as the nineteenth conductor of the
Boston Pops Orchestra from 1980-1993, helming three Pops tours of the US and
Japan during his tenure. He currently serves as the Pop's Conductor Laureate.
Of particular interests are his Essay for Strings, a jazzy Prelude & Fugue,
the multimedia presentation American Journey (aka The Unfinished Journey
(1999)), a Sinfonietta for Winds, a song cycle featuring poems by Rita
Dove, concerti for flute, violin, clarinet, trumpet, tuba, cello, bassoon and
horn, fanfares for the 1984, 1988 and 1996 Summer Olympics, the 2002 Winter
Olympics, and a song co-written with Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman for the
Special Olympics.
Born in Long Island, New York on February 8, 1932, John Towner Williams discovered music almost immediately, due in no small measure to being the son of a percussionist for CBS Radio and the Raymond Scott Quintet. After moving to Los Angeles in 1948, the young pianist and leader of his own jazz band started experimenting with arranging tunes; at age 15, he determined he was going to become a concert pianist; at 19, he premiered his first original composition, a piano sonata. He attended both UCLA and the Los Angeles City College, studying orchestration under MGM musical associate Robert Van Eps and being privately tutored by composer Mario Castelnnuono- Tedesco, until conducting for the first time during three years with the U.S. Air Force. His return to the states brought him to Julliard, where renowned piano pedagogue Madame Rosina Lhevinne helped Williams hone his performance skills. He played in jazz clubs to pay his way; still, she encouraged him to focus on composing. So it was back to L.A., with the future maestro ready to break into the Hollywood-scene.
Williams found work with the Hollywood studios as a piano player, eventually accompanying such fare. At age 24, "Johnny Williams" became a staff arranger at Columbia and then at 20th Century-Fox, orchestrating for Golden Age notables. In the field of popular music, he performed and arranged for the likes of Vic Damone, Doris Day, and Mahalia Jackson- all while courting actress/singer Barbara Ruick, who became his wife until her death in 1974. John & Barbara had three children; their daughter is now a doctor, and their two sons, Joseph Williams and Mark Towner Williams, are rock musicians.
The orchestrating gigs led to serious composing jobs for television, notably Alcoa Premiere (1961), Checkmate (1960), Gilligan's Island (1964), Lost in Space (1965), Land of the Giants (1968), and his Emmy-winning scores for Heidi (1968) and Jane Eyre(1970). Daddy-O (1958) and Because They're Young (1960) brought his original music to the big theatres, but he was soon typecast doing comedies. His efforts in the genre helped guarantee his work on William Wyler's How to Steal a Million (1966), however, a major picture that immediately led to larger projects. Of course, his arrangements continued to garner attention, and he won his first Oscar for adapting Fiddler on the Roof(1971).
In this millennium, the artist shows no
interest in slowing down. His relationships with Spielberg and Lucas continue
in A.I.
Artificial Intelligence (2001), the remaining Star Wars
prequels (2002, 2005), Minority
Report (2002), Catch Me If
You Can (2002), and a promised fourth Indiana Jones film. There
is a more focused effort on concert works, as well, including a theme for the
new Walt Disney Concert
Hall and a rumored light opera. But one certain highlight is his musical magic
for the world of Harry Potter (2001, 2002, 2004, etc.), which he also arranged
into a concert suite geared toward teaching children about the symphony
orchestra. His music remains on the whistling lips of people around the globe,
in the concert halls, on the promenades, in album collections, sports arenas,
and parades, and, this writer hopes, touching some place in ourselves. So keep
those ears ready wherever you go, 'cause you will likely hear a bit of John
Williams on your way.
References:
http://www.johnwilliams.org/reference/biography.html
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/4/42/John_Williams.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120402051037
A good read. Did you find an example of his children's suite? Would be interesting to hear what you think of it & whether you think it would be a good teaching tool for younger students to learn about the instruments of the orchestra...
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