List of compositions by John Williams
This is a list of compositions by John Williams.
Film scores[edit]
The following list consists of select films for which John Williams composed the score and/or songs.
1950s[edit]
| Year | Title | Director | Studio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | You Are Welcome[1][2][3] | — | — | Promotional film for the tourist information office of Newfoundland |
| 1958 | Daddy-O | Lou Place | American International Pictures | Feature film debut Credited as Johnny Williams. |
| 1959 | Gidget | Paul Wendkos | Columbia Pictures | Orchestrator |
1960s[edit]
1970s[edit]
1980s[edit]
1990s[edit]
2000s[edit]
2010s[edit]
2020s[edit]
| Year | Title | Director | Studio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | The Fabelmans | Steven Spielberg | Amblin Entertainment Reliance Entertainment Universal Pictures |
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Original Score Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score Nominated—Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media |
| 2023 | Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny | James Mangold | Walt Disney Pictures Lucasfilm Ltd. Paramount Pictures |
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition ("Helena's Theme") Nominated—Academy Award for Best Original Score Nominated—Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media |
The Olympics[edit]
Williams has composed music for four Olympic Games:
- "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" – 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles
- Written specifically for the opening ceremonies. In a 1996 re-release, the opening trumpet fanfare was replaced with "Bugler's Dream", a previous Olympic Theme written by Leo Arnaud. This recording has been used as the theme for NBC's Olympic coverage ever since. Williams received a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition.
- "The Olympic Spirit" – 1988 Summer Olympics, Seoul
- Commissioned by NBC Sports for their television coverage. Williams received a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition.
- "Summon the Heroes" – 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta, Georgia
- Written in commemoration of the Centennial of the Modern Olympic Games. Premiering on July 19, 1996, the piece features heavy use of the brass and wind sections and is approximately six minutes in length. Principal Boston Pops trumpeter Timothy Morrison played the opening solo on the album recording. It has been arranged for various types of ensembles, including wind ensembles. This theme is now used prevalently by NBC for intros and outros to commercial breaks of the Olympics.
- "Call of the Champions" – 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City, Utah
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Playhouse 90 | CBS | Episode: "The Right Hand Man" |
| 1958–1959 | M Squad | NBC | — |
| 1958–1964 | Wagon Train | NBC ABC |
— |
| 1959 | Markham | CBS | Episode: "Woman of Arles" |
| 1959–1960 | Bachelor Father | CBS NBC ABC |
— |
| 1960 | Tales of Wells Fargo | NBC | — |
| 1960–1962 | Checkmate | CBS | Theme Nominated—Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media |
| General Electric Theater | Episodes: "Ten Days in the Sun" and "Journal of Hope" | ||
| 1961 | Kraft Mystery Theatre | NBC | — |
| 1961–1963 | Alcoa Premiere | ABC | Theme |
| 1962–1963 | Wide Country | NBC | Theme |
| 1963 | The Eleventh Hour | Episode: "The Bronze Locust" | |
| 1963–1965 | Kraft Suspense Theatre | Theme | |
| 1963–1967 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Theme | |
| 1964 | Breaking Point | ABC | Episode: "Better Than a Dead Lion" |
| 1964–1965 | Gilligan's Island | CBS | Episode: pilot |
| 1965 | Ben Casey | ABC | Episode: "A Little Fun to Match the Sorrow" |
| Lost in Space | CBS | Episodes: "My Friend, Mr. Nobody", The Hungry Sea", "Island in the Sky" and "The Reluctant Stowaway" | |
| 1966 | The Tammy Grimes Show | ABC | Theme Episode: "How to Steal a Girl Even If It's Only Me" |
| 1966–1968 | The Time Tunnel | Theme Episode: "Rendezvous with Yesterday" | |
| 1968 | Land of the Giants | Episode: "The Crash" | |
| CBS Playhouse | CBS | Episode: "Saturday Adoption" | |
| 1976 | 48th Academy Awards | ABC | Musical director |
| 1981–2005 | Evening at Pops | PBS | Theme |
| 1985–1987 | Amazing Stories | NBC | Theme Episodes: "The Mission" and "Ghost Train" |
| 2009 | Great Performances | PBS | Theme |
| 2022 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | Disney+ | Theme Score composed by Natalie Holt Theme adapted by William Ross |
- For NBC (United States):
Miscellaneous[edit]
- 1980: Williams' Jaws theme briefly used in Airplane! scored by Elmer Bernstein.
- 1980: Williams' Superman theme used in Superman II scored by Ken Thorne.
- 1983: Williams' Superman theme also used in Superman III also scored by Ken Thorne.
- 1983: Williams' Jaws theme used in Jaws 3-D scored by Alan Parker.
- 1984: Williams' Superman theme used in Supergirl scored by Jerry Goldsmith.
- 1984: Williams' "Parade of the Ewoks" from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi used in The Ewok Adventure scored by Peter Bernstein.
- 1985: Williams' "Parade of the Ewoks" from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi also used in Ewoks: The Battle for Endor also scored by Peter Bernstein.
- 1987: Williams' Jaws theme used in Jaws: The Revenge scored by Michael Small.
- 2001: Williams' Jurassic Park theme used in Jurassic Park III scored by Don Davis.
- 2002: Williams' "The Imperial March" from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back briefly used in French film Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra.
- 2005: Williams' "Raiders March" briefly plays during a scene of an Oakey Oaks theater showing Raiders of the Lost Ark in the Walt Disney Animation Studios feature film Chicken Little scored by John Debney.
- 2005: Williams' Harry Potter theme used in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire scored by Patrick Doyle.
- 2006: Williams' Superman theme used in Superman Returns scored by John Ottman.
- 2007: Williams' Harry Potter theme used in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix scored by Nicholas Hooper.
- 2008–2020: Williams' Star Wars themes frequently used in Star Wars: The Clone Wars scored by Kevin Kiner.
- 2009: Williams' Harry Potter theme used in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince scored by Nicholas Hooper.
- 2010: Williams' Harry Potter theme used in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 scored by Alexandre Desplat.
- 2011: Williams' Harry Potter theme also used in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 also scored by Alexandre Desplat.
- 2014–2018: Williams' Star Wars themes frequently used in Star Wars Rebels scored by Kevin Kiner.
- 2015: Williams' Star Wars main theme briefly used in Tomorrowland scored by Michael Giacchino.
- 2015: Williams' Jurassic Park theme used in Jurassic World also scored by Michael Giacchino.
- 2016: Williams' Harry Potter theme used in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them scored by James Newton Howard.
- 2016: Williams' Star Wars themes used in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story scored by Michael Giacchino.
- 2017: Danny Elfman chose to use Williams' Superman theme for Henry Cavill's version of Superman in the DC Extended Universe film Justice League.
- 2018: Williams' Lost in Space theme used in 2018 adaptation scored by Christopher Lennertz.
- 2018: Williams' Jurassic Park theme used in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom scored by Michael Giacchino.
- 2018: Williams' "The Imperial March" from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back briefly used in the Walt Disney Animation Studios feature film Ralph Breaks The Internet scored by Henry Jackman when Vanellope Von Schweetz runs away from First Order stormtroopers on OhMyDisney.com website.
- 2019: Williams' Superman theme briefly appears at the end of the film when Superman goes to lunch with Shazam and his foster brothers in the DC Extended Universe film Shazam!.
- 2019: Williams' Superman theme, specifically the tracks selected by Blake Neely, briefly appears when Superman meets Iris West-Allen, Superman and Lois Lane when they find him on Earth-96 in the Batwoman episode "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part Two", which is part of the Arrowverse.
- 2020: Williams' Amazing Stories theme used in 2020 version.
- 2020–2022: Williams' Jurassic Park theme used in Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous along with Michael Giacchino's Jurassic World theme. Scored by Leo Birenberg.
- 2020: Williams' Star Wars themes briefly used in the Disney+ original series The Mandalorian Season 2 scored by Ludwig Göransson.
- 2021–2024: Williams' Star Wars themes frequently used in the Disney+ original series Star Wars: The Bad Batch scored by Kevin Kiner.
- 2021: Williams' Harry Potter theme briefly appears when an animated LeBron James appears dressed as Harry Potter during the Warner 3000 presentation scene in the Looney Tunes film Space Jam: A New Legacy.
- 2021–2022: Williams' Star Wars themes briefly used in the Disney+ original series The Book of Boba Fett scored by Ludwig Göransson and Joseph Shirley.
- 2022: Williams' Indiana Jones theme briefly appears when Chip 'n' Dale crash into an Indiana Jones exhibition booth in the Disney+ original film Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers scored by Brian Tyler.
- 2022: Williams' Jurassic Park theme used in Jurassic World: Dominion scored by Michael Giacchino.
- 2022: Williams' Superman theme briefly appears when the destruction of Krypton happens at the beginning of DC League of Super-Pets.
- 2022: Williams' Superman theme composed by Lorne Balfe briefly appears when Superman meets Black Adam in the mid-credits scene of the DC Extended Universe film Black Adam.
- 2023: Williams' "March of the Resistance" from Star Wars: The Force Awakens briefly used in the Disney+ original series The Mandalorian Season 3 scored by Ludwig Göransson and Joseph Shirley.
- 2023: Williams' Superman theme composed by Benjamin Wallfisch briefly appears when Superman and Supergirl made a cameo appearance in the DC Extended Universe film The Flash.
- 2023: Williams' Star Wars themes frequently used in the Disney+ original series Ahsoka scored by Kevin Kiner.
Concertos[edit]
| Composition Year | Title | Premiere Date | Premiere Performers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Concerto for Flute and Orchestra | 1981 | Leonard Slatkin/St. Louis Symphony Orchestra – Peter Lloyd, flute – St. Louis | |
| 1976 | Concerto for Violin and Orchestra | 1981-01-29 | Leonard Slatkin/St. Louis Symphony Orchestra – Mark Peskanov, violin – St. Louis | Composed at the suggestion of Barbara Ruick, first wife of the composer. Begun in 1974, shortly after Ruick's death, and completed in 1976 |
| 1985 | Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra | 1985-05-08 | John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra – Chester Schmitz, tuba – Boston | Composed in 1985 for the Centennial of the Boston Pops |
| 1991 | Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra | 1991-04-13 | John Williams/Riverside County Philharmonic – Michele Zukovsky, clarinet – Los Angeles | Composed in 1991 for Michele Zukovsky, principal clarinet of the LA Philharmonic[8] |
| 1993 | Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra (The Five Sacred Trees) | 1995-04-15 | Kurt Masur/New York Philharmonic – Judith LeClair, bassoon | Composed in 1993 for the 150th celebration of the New York Philharmonic |
| 1994 | Concerto for Cello and Orchestra | 1994-07-07 | John Williams/Boston Symphony Orchestra – Yo-Yo Ma, cello – Tanglewood | Composed in 1994 for the opening of the Seiji Ozawa Hall in Tanglewood |
| 1996 | Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra | 1996-10 | Christoph von Dohnányi/Cleveland Orchestra – Michael Sachs, trumpet | Composed in 1996 for Michael Sachs, first trumpet of the Cleveland Orchestra |
| 1997 rev. 2002 | Elegy for Cello and Orchestra | Premiered by John Williams, piano, and John Waltz, cello. Later arranged for cello and orchestra | Composed in 1997 for a memorial service in Los Angeles. Based on a secondary theme from Seven Years in Tibet | |
| 2000 | TreeSong for Violin and Orchestra | 2000-07-08 | John Williams/Boston Symphony Orchestra – Gil Shaham, violin | Composed in 2000 for Gil Shaham |
| 2001 | Heartwood: Lyric Sketches for Cello and Orchestra | 2002-08-04 | John Williams/Boston Symphony Orchestra – Yo-Yo Ma, cello – Boston | Composed in 2001 for Yo-Yo Ma |
| 2003 | Concerto for Horn and Orchestra | 2003-11-29 | John Williams/Chicago Symphony Orchestra – Dale Clevenger, horn – Chicago | Composed for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's principal horn Dale Clevenger |
| 2007 | Duo Concertante for Violin and Viola | 2007-08-17 | John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra – Victor Romanul, violin – Michael Zaretsky, viola – Tanglewood | Composed for Michael Zaretsky |
| 2009 | Concerto for Viola and Orchestra | 2009-05-26 | John Williams/Boston Symphony Orchestra – Boston | Composed for Cathy Basrak. Unreleased |
| 2009 | On Willows and Birches (Concerto for Harp and Orchestra) | 2009-09-23 | John Williams/Boston Symphony Orchestra – Boston | Composed for Ann Hobson Pilot |
| 2011 | Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra | 2011-05-25 | John Williams/Boston Pops Orchestra – Keisuke Wakao, oboe – Boston | Composed for Keisuke Wakao |
| 2014 | Scherzo for Piano and Orchestra | 2014-07-03 | China Philharmonic Orchestra – Lang Lang, piano – Beijing | Composed for the Music in the Summer Air Festival |
| 2017 | Markings for solo violin, strings, and harp | 2017-07-16 | Andris Nelsons/Boston Symphony Orchestra – Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin – Tanglewood | Composed for Anne-Sophie Mutter |
| 2018 | Highwood's Ghost, An Encounter for Cello, Harp and Orchestra | 2018-08-19 | Andris Nelsons/Boston Symphony Orchestra – Yo-Yo Ma, cello – Jessica Zhou, harp – Tanglewood | Composed for Yo-Yo Ma and Jessica Zhou |
| 2021 | Violin Concerto No. 2 | 2021-07-24 | John Williams/Boston Symphony Orchestra – Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin – Tanglewood | Composed for Anne-Sophie Mutter |
Celebration pieces and other concert works[edit]
- "Prelude and Fugue for Orchestra" (1965). Premiered by the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra conducted by Stan Kenton. The original Kenton version is on the album Stan Kenton Conducts the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra. Another recording is available for download in MP3 at the United States Marine Band website.
- "Essay for Strings" (1965)
- "Symphony No. 1" (1966), premiered by Houston Symphony under André Previn in 1968. Williams reworked the piece in 1988 (scheduled to be performed by the San Francisco Symphony during a visit as guest conductor in early 1990s but pulled before the performance).
- "Sinfonietta for Wind Ensemble" (1968), commissioned and first recorded in 1970 by Eastman Wind Ensemble under Donald Hunsberger.[9]
- "A Nostalgic Jazz Odyssey" (1971)
- Thomas and The King (musical, 1975), premiered in London. Recorded in 1981 by the Original Cast.
- "Jubilee 350 Fanfare" (1980), premiered by the Boston Pops conducted by Williams. Piece celebrating the 350th anniversary of the City of Boston
- "Fanfare for a Festive Occasion" (1980), composed for by the Boston Civic Orchestra and its conductor Max Hobart, and premiered on November 14, 1980.[10]
- "Pops on the March" (1981). Composed as a tribute to Arthur Fiedler
- "America, the Dream Goes On" (1982)
- "Esplanade Overture" (1983)
- Liberty Fanfare (1986), premiered on July 4, 1986, by the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. Piece composed for the Liberty Weekend Centennial of the Statue of Liberty
- "Celebration Fanfare" (1986). Composed for the sesquicentennial of the Texas Declaration of Independence
- "A Hymn to New England" (1987)
- "We're Looking Good!" (1987). Composed for the 1987 Special Olympics World Games
- "Fanfare for Michael Dukakis" (1988). Composed for Michael Dukakis' presidential campaign and premiered at the 1988 Democratic National Convention
- "Fanfare for Ten-Year-Olds" (1988)
- "For New York" (Variations on theme by Leonard Bernstein) (1988). Composed for Leonard Bernstein's 70th birthday celebrations
- "Winter Games Fanfare" (1989)
- "Celebrate Discovery!" (1990). Composed for the 500th anniversary celebration of the arrival of Columbus in America
- "Aloft... To the Royal Masthead" (1992), for the visiting Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
- "Sound the Bells!" (1993), composed in honor of the wedding of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako.
- "Song for World Peace" (1994)
- "Variations on Happy Birthday" (1995)
- "Satellite Celebration" (1995)
- "Seven for Luck" (1998)
- "American Journey" (1999). Portions premiered as accompaniment to a film by Steven Spielberg as part of the Millennium Celebration in Washington D.C. December 31, 1999
- "For Seiji!" (1999). Tribute to conductor Seiji Ozawa, premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra on April 23, 1999
- "Three Pieces for Solo Cello" (2001)
- "Soundings" (2003), composed for the Walt Disney Concert Hall
- "Star Spangled Banner" (2007), special arrangement for game 1 of the 2007 World Series played by the Boston Pops Orchestra
- "A Timeless Call" (2008). Score to the Steven Spielberg war veteran tribute film shown on day 3 of the 2008 Democratic National Convention
- "Air and Simple Gifts", performed by Itzhak Perlman on violin, Yo-Yo Ma on cello, Gabriela Montero on piano, and Anthony McGill on clarinet. Composed for the Barack Obama 2009 presidential inauguration
- "Viktor's Tale" (2010), for clarinet and concert band. From "The Terminal".
- "La Jolla Quartet: A Chamber Piece for Violin, Cello, Clarinet, and Harp" (2011). Premiered August 2011 at the La Jolla Music Society's SummerFest[11]
- "A Young Person's Guide to the Cello" for solo cello (2011)
- "Fanfare for Fenway" (2012), Premiered April 2012 as part of the Boston Red Sox's commemoration of their 100th anniversary in Fenway Park.[12]
- "Rounds" (2012), for solo guitar - Composed for Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas and premiered in June 2012 at the Parkening International Guitar Competition in Malibu.[13]
- "Fanfare for 'The President's Own'" (2013), Premiered May 2013 for the United States Marine Band's 215th anniversary.[14]
- "Conversations" (2013), a four-movement work for solo piano. The first two movements were premiered by pianist Gloria Cheng on July 22, 2013, at the Mendocino Music Festival in California. She premiered the entire work in November on the Piano Spheres series in Los Angeles.[15] A recording of "Conversations" was released on February 10, 2015, as part of Gloria Cheng's solo album 'Montage'.[16]
- "Music for Brass" for Brass Ensemble and Percussion (2014), premiered on June 12 by the National Brass Ensemble.[17]
- "A Toast!" (2014), celebrating the arrival of Andris Nelsons as new music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
- "Just Down West Street...on the left" (2015), Tanglewood Music Center 75th Anniversary commission.
- Theme and ambient music for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge attractions (2018–2019)[18]
- "Overture to the Oscars", premiered at Tanglewood's 'Film Night' 2021 (August 13)[19]
- "Fanfare for Solo Trumpet", composed for David Geffen Hall Reopening (2022)[20]
- "Centennial Overture", composed in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Hollywood Bowl (2022)[21]
- "Of Grit and Glory", composed for ESPN College Football Championship (2023)[22]
References[edit]
- ^ ""You Are Welcome" – John Williams film score from 1954".
- ^ http://fpdownload.adobe.com/strobe/FlashMediaPlayback.swf?src=http://collections.mun.ca/videos/extension/image/2603.mp4[permanent dead link]
- ^ "You Are Welcome", composer John Williams' first film score - YouTube
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (2017-12-30). "'Solo' Locks In Key 'Star Wars' Veteran". Variety. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
- ^ Powell, John (2018-05-08). "Tracklist for Solo: A Star Wars Story's Soundtrack Album". Facebook. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
- ^ Kaye, Ben (7 March 2018). "John Williams to retire from Star Wars films following Episode IX". Consequence of Sound. Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ John Eggerton,"Are You Ready For Some Gridiron Violins?" in Broadcasting & Cable, August 30, 2006.
- ^ David Blumberg (2011). "Clarinet Concerto recording". Mytempo.com. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
- ^ "Sinfonietta for Wind Ensemble". The John Williams Web Pages. Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2011-10-21.
- ^ "Fanfare for a Festive Occasion". The John Williams Web Pages. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
- ^ "John Williams Fan Network – Jwfan". Jwfan.com. Retrieved 2011-09-19.
- ^ "John Williams, Boston Pops Perform 'Fanfare for Fenway' in Tribute to Park's 100th Anniversary". Jwfan.com. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
- ^ "John Williams' Guitar Piece 'Rounds' Online". Jwfan.com. 2012-07-18. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
- ^ "New Williams Fanfare to Premiere Next Week". Jwfan.com. 2013-05-16. Retrieved 2013-06-18.
- ^ "'Conversations': New Concert Work for Piano Solo", Jwfan.com, 2013-05-31, retrieved 2013-06-18
- ^ John Williams' 'Conversations' for Piano Solo to be Released February 10, Jwfan.com, 2014-06-29, retrieved 2014-07-03
- ^ "National Brass Ensemble in Concert". Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ Nyren, Erin (November 18, 2018). "John Williams to Compose New 'Star Wars' Music for Disney Parks Attractions". Variety. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
- ^ "Tanglewood's 'Film Night' 2021: Reviews, Photos and More ('Overture to the Oscars' World Premiere) – JOHN WILLIAMS Fan Network – JWFAN".
- ^ "VIDEO: 'Fanfare for Solo Trumpet' – New Williams Work for David Geffen Hall Reopening – JOHN WILLIAMS Fan Network – JWFAN".
- ^ "VIDEO: John Williams Conducts New Fanfare 'Centennial Overture' at the Hollywood Bowl (World Premiere) – JOHN WILLIAMS Fan Network – JWFAN".
- ^ "John Williams Writes New Theme for ESPN College Football Championship (UPDATED with Video) – JOHN WILLIAMS Fan Network – JWFAN".
Bibliography[edit]
- "John Williams Compositions". johnwilliams.org. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
