Super Composer

Nearly everyone can name a favorite John Williams film score: Jaws? E.T.? Jurassic Park? Maybe Superman is more to your taste? Probably Harry Potter or Star Wars rank on that list. It’s hard to overstate the emotional pull of John Williams’ music. With over 100 films and 54 Oscar nominations to his name, Williams, at 92, is one of the most prolific, awarded and beloved composers of our time. 

In this Q&A, Principal Conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall Sarah Hicks—who leads three concerts dedicated to John Williams’ music with the Minnesota Orchestra on November 7-9—ruminates on why his music touches us so deeply, why it works well in the concert hall and why its influence runs so deep in our culture.

Tell us about this program. What will audiences hear and experience?

This program is a chance to experience the full spectrum of the extraordinary film music of John Williams, arguably the most important, impactful film composer of any generation. I’m so excited to perform music from across his storied career, from early scores like Superman and Jaws, selections from across all the Star Wars episodes, favorites from Harry Potter and Indiana Jones, and more. I’ll be weaving together all of this incredible music with stories about John, his approach to writing, his enduring creative partnerships, and the ways his music has left his mark on the film industry and our culture as a whole.

What makes John Williams so highly regarded? Why is his music so beloved?

There are so many characteristics of John Williams’ music that I could point to: from his uncanny ability to craft unforgettable melodies, to his mastery of the orchestra and the brilliant way he utilizes its colors. And his capacity to integrate other musical influences—from avant-garde mid-20th century European art music to traditional Irish reels—while maintaining his own unique voice is, in my opinion, second to none. But at its core, what really sets him apart is that his music has such an immediate, deep, authentic emotional connection to both the film and the listener. When we hear John Williams’ music, we are moved, and so we are drawn back to it again and again.

Do you recall your first time listening to a John Williams score?

It was on LP, believe it or not. There was an album representing an abridged version of the events of Episode IV: A New Hope called “The Story of Star Wars” which was in my dad’s record collection. I remember being obsessed with two things: R2-D2’s expressive beeping and the music in the background that I learned to sing, top to bottom.

This concert doesn’t have a visual aspect. What is the value of listening to these films scores in a concert setting?

In many ways, I feel like you don’t ever really need a screen when you’re listening to John Williams. You hear a few notes, and you’re instantly transported to that scene in the movie, and the way you felt when you saw that scene! And I think that’s the incredible benefit of presenting a film music concert where each listener can have their own experience with the music, to encounter it anew and to feel all of the emotions that it evokes. And I love that our Orchestra will be front and center, so that audiences can witness the energy and passion with which we perform these works, and the incredible skill it takes to bring this music to life!

You have conducted many movie scores live-to-film—and you’ve said that it’s like playing a “demented video game.” How is conducting these pieces in a concert setting different?

There is so much more freedom performing these pieces without worrying about aligning them to a film! I’m able to approach each work more as a way to set a scene or give insight into a character or express a powerful emotion—as a work of art that stands up on its own without being tied to a visual medium. And I’ve often found so much of what John writes to be like miniature symphonic poems that, to me, it makes so much sense to perform them as concert pieces. And that way I’m able to put a little more of myself into each performance, and let the Orchestra shine in its own unique way instead of trying to duplicate something we’ve heard on film.

Talk us through the process of building this program—how did you decide what would be featured?

There are SO many works to choose from, so it’s always a matter of culling down the options! But what I really wanted to do was to focus not just on this spectacular music, but also on John Williams himself—his impact on both film scoring and the film industry, his extraordinary partnership with Steven Spielberg, the craft of his writing, the ways in which his music has become a cultural touchstone, and most importantly the profound emotional connections that are forged when we listen to his music. I knew I wanted to tell a story in the program, to share a narrative about the man and his music and the ways his music touches all of us. So when I had the basic narrative arc in place, I chose the repertoire that could tell the story. And I had to pick a few of my personal favorites as well, including an absolutely fantastic score from an absolutely mediocre movie (Far and Away), and one of the most beautiful, tragic love themes in all of movie history (Across the Stars).

What is your favorite John Williams film score?

That’s a tough call, I love so, so, so many of them, and for different reasons. E.T., for the closing sequences, which offer just some of the most pure and heartfelt music ever written. Saving Private Ryan for powerfully capturing such a spectrum of the human experience. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for its quirky dark complexity and world-building. It’s kind of endless…but I suppose I’d have to go with the original Star Wars, because that’s the first time I fell in love with his music, and true love lasts a lifetime!

Is there a reason this concert is particularly near and dear to your heart as a conductor?

Well, John’s music is very near and dear to my heart not just as a conductor, but as a human being, so from a purely personal standpoint, it’s so satisfying and gratifying to be able to perform his music. And his music has such a direct and resonant emotional impact, it’s the kind of concert experience that I find important to experience as live music. But even more, I really savor opportunities to take our audiences on a journey through music and to be able to bring stories and moments that remind us that the reason we love music is that it puts us in touch with our shared humanity. John’s music is a beautiful example of how so many people from so many walks of life can share in their love of music together. It’s a tangible reminder of how closely connected we all are.