New Classical – John Williams

Featured Artist 12/16/19 – 12/22/19.

This week on CMI Streaming, we feature music by John Williams, an iconic American composer who has been nominated for 51 Academy Awards for his work on music for films dating back to 1967. His first win in the Best Original Score category came in 1975 with his score for Jaws. Just two years later, perhaps Williams most iconic work earned him another Oscar win, with his score for 1977’s Star Wars. That film was the start of a mega-franchise that is one of the most recognizable entertainment properties in the world 42 years later. Williams will be retiring from the Star Wars films after this week’s release of the final episode in the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Williams’ scores for Star Wars and other films, such as the Harry Potter series, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and more are some of the most beloved film scores of all time. About Williams’ work, legendary filmmaker Stephen Speilberg said, “without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, nor do men in red capes. There is no Force, dinosaurs do not walk the Earth, we do not wonder, we do not weep, we do not believe.”