Five-time Academy Award and 21-time Grammy Award winner John Williams joins The Phoenix Symphony to conduct an unforgettable evening of music from the movies, featuring selections from some of his most popular and iconic scores, including Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jaws, E.T., Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List and more.
During this special appearance on September 28, acclaimed director Steven Spielberg joins Williams to host the second half of the evening, presenting selections from their remarkable forty-year artistic collaboration, including selected film clips projected on a giant screen above the orchestra. Experience the magic of music and cinema with two great maestros of the movies!
When John Williams and Steven Spielberg met in 1972, Williams had nearly 20 years of film and TV scoring behind him and Spielberg was a 25-year-old television director about to shoot his first theatrical feature. When they agreed to work together, arguably the most successful film music partnership in Hollywood history was born.
Their first film together was The Sugarland Express, and the partnership has continued over the years with such iconic films as Jaws, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, War Horse, Lincoln and more. Williams has composed the scores for 26 out of the 27 feature films that Spielberg has directed. “John Williams and Steven Spielberg are two of the greatest American icons of our generation and tremendously important to the film industry. Their music and films are iconic and recognized the world over. This is a very special night, and those lucky enough to attend will never forget the magic created on stage.” Said Jim Ward, President and CEO of The Phoenix Symphony. “It is an honor to have legends like John Williams and Steven Spielberg grace our stage at Symphony Hall, and we will be forever grateful for their generosity to the Symphony and our community.”
In a career spanning over six decades, John Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards and twenty-one Grammy Awards. In total, Williams has forty-eight Academy Award nominations, making him the second most-nominated person after Walt Disney. He has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in cinematic history, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, War Horse, Lincoln, and the first three Harry Potter films.
Steven Spielberg is one of the film industry’s most successful and influential filmmakers of all time. He is collectively the top-grossing director in the business, having helmed such blockbusters as Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones franchise and Jurassic Park. Among his myriad honors, he is a three-time Academy Award winner and a two-time Directors Guild of America winner.
Maestro Williams and Mr. Spielberg are generously donating their services, and all proceeds from this one-night-only performance will benefit The Phoenix Symphony’s Education and Community Outreach programs.
