John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is one of the most widely recognised composers of film scores. He is often credited with the revival of the symphonic film score with his brassy themes for the Star Wars series, probably his most famous and recognisable work. Among his composing credits are:
- Jaws
- Star Wars movie series
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- Superman
- Indiana Jones movie series
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
- Hook
- Schindler's List
- Saving Private Ryan
- Harry Potter movie series
From 1980 to 1993, he was principal conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. He still has close ties with the Pops and the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), which have much overlap and both perform out of Boston's Symphony Hall. He conducts several concerts with the Boston Pops every year, particularly during their Holiday Pops season. He also frequently enlists the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the official chorus of the BSO, to sing choral music in his movie scores (such as Saving Private Ryan).
Williams has written various concert works, including concerti for flute, violin, trumpet and tuba.
He is an accomplished pianist, as can be heard in various scores in which he provides solos, as well as a handful of classical recordings.