John Williamsby Amber Rector

http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/John_Williams

Biography

• Born February 8th, 1932 in Queens, NY• Father was a musician and composed film

soundtracks• Degree in composition from UCLA• Joined the Air Force and played in the Band• Attended Julliard School of Music• Plays piano, trumpet, trombone, and clarinet

Career

• Composition Career began in 1960• Produced scores for Gilligan’s Island and Lost

in Space• 1970’s produced scores for movies Jaws and

Star Wars• 1980 appointed Conductor of Boston Pop’s

Orchestra• Composed Five Sacred Trees in 1995

Awards

• Academy Awards - Original Score

– Fiddler on the Roof, 1971– Jaws, 1975– Star Wars, 1977– ET, 1982– Schindler’s List, 1993

• Emmy Awards – Outstanding Achievement in Musical Compositions

– Heidi, 1968– Jane Eyre, 1971

Awards• Golden Globe Awards – Best Original Score

– Jaws, 1975– Star Wars, 1977– E.T., 1982,– Memoirs of a Geisha, 2005Grammy Awards

- Jaws, 1975- Star Wars, 1977- Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1978- Superman, 1979- The Empire Strikes Back, 1980

- Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981- E.T., 1982- Olympic Fanfare and Theme, 1984- Schindler’s List, 1994- Saving Private Ryan, 1998- Theme from Angela’s Ashes, 2000

Steven Spielberg

• Met over lunch in 1972• Their first film together was the Sugarland

Express• Williams has composed 25 of Spielberg's 26

major films• They only use live orchestra for their

compositions, no electronic music

Famous Movies

• Fiddler on the Roof• Star Wars• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone• Schindler’s List• Jaws• Superman• Memoirs of a Geisha

Orchestra

• Conductor of the Boston Pop’s Orchestra– 3 tours of United States– 3 tours of Japan– Retired in 1993

• Guest Conductor for the:– Los Angles Philharmonic– San Francisco Symphony– London Symphony

Hedwig's Theme

• Composed for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

• Represents the Wizarding World

• Can be heard in all of the Harry Potter movies

• Was nominated for an Oscar

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm270966272/tt0241527?ref_=tt_ov_i

Hedwig's Theme Listening Guide• Introduction:

Fantastical sound from chimes and bells creates the feeling of Magic

• Duple Meter• Tempo is Adagio• Full Orchestra

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/hedwig-s-theme-harry-s-wondrous-world-easy-piano-sheet-music/4042209#

Fluffy’s Harp

• From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone• Puts the 3-headed dog, Fluffy to sleep• Released October 30, 2001 by Atlantic

Records

http://www.dadabank.com/portfolio_images/Film_HarryPotter_Fluffy.jpg

Fluffy’s Harp Listening Guide

• Opens with a Bassoon• Harp and Bassoon play

Harmony• Minor Mode• Descending Melody• Sounds of a big droopy

dog

http://www.musicnotes.com/images/productimages/mtd/MN0040780.gif

Imperial March

• From the movie, Empire Strikes Back

• Released April 20,1980• Leitmotif of Darth Vader• Song plays anytime

Vader enters the scene

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:70352

Imperial March Listening Guide

• Opens with Percussions• Disjunct Melody• Major Mode

Five Sacred Trees

• Written in 1995• Bassoon Concerto• Performed by Boston

Symphony and Judith LeClair

• First Movement Eo Mugna, an Oak

• Based on Poem written by Robert Graves

http://d29ci68ykuu27r.cloudfront.net/product/190X400/2976348.jpg

Five Sacred Trees Listening Guide

• Minor Mode• Disjunct Melody• Bassoon enters the

piece with a long sad note

http://hollywoodpark-tx.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/loan-oak-tree.jpg

Bibliography• http://www.johnwilliams.org/reference/biography.html• http://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/feb/04/artsfeatur

es• http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-williams-mn0000232

480/biography• http://www.mfiles.co.uk/composers/John-Williams.htm• http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/John_Williams• http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/08/entertainment/la

-ca-john-williams-20120108/2• http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_

Philosopher%27s_Stone_(soundtrack)• http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Hedwig%27s_Theme• http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_Imperial_March• http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/700896.html#tvf=

tracks&tv=about

Bibliographyhttp://www.johnwilliams.org/reference/grammyawards.htmlhttp://www.imdb.com/media/rm270966272/tt0241527?ref_=tt_ov_ihttp://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/John_Williamshttp://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/hedwig-s-theme-harry-s-wondrous-world-easy-piano-sheet-music/4042209#http://www.dadabank.com/portfolio_images/Film_HarryPotter_Fluffy.jpghttp://www.musicnotes.com/images/productimages/mtd/MN0040780.gifhttps://www.thingiverse.com/thing:70352http://d29ci68ykuu27r.cloudfront.net/product/190X400/2976348.jpghttp://hollywoodpark-tx.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/loan-oak-tree.jpg