Composer John Williams is known for iconic music for movies varying from “Star Wars” to “Jurassic Park.”
The Santa Barbara Symphony presents “John Williams: A Cinematic Celebration” at 7:30 p.m. March 18 and 3 p.m. March 19.
Guest conductor Rei Hotoda takes the podium to lead the symphony in a tribute concert where powerful cinematic moments will come to life through live orchestral accompaniment. Audiences will have the chance to hear them played by many of the same musicians who recorded the original motion picture soundtracks alongside the inimitable John Williams himself, from “Star Wars” to “Harry Potter,” “E.T.” and many more.
This concert is also a part of the Granada Synergy Series.
In a career spanning more than five decades, John Williams at 91 is one of America’s most accomplished and successful composers for film and the concert stage, and he remains one of the nation’s most distinguished and prolific musical voices. He has composed the music and served as music director for more than 100 films including all nine “Star Wars” films, the first three “Harry Potter” films, “Superman,” “JFK,” “Jaws,” “Home Alone” and many more.
Santa Barbara Symphony musicians are no strangers to Mr. Williams’ work; in fact, many of the orchestra musicians are studio regulars for him and have played on numerous original film scores, including Concertmaster Jessica Guideri; Erik Rynearson, principal viola; Trevor Handy, principal cello; Lara Wickes, principal oboe; Don Foster, principal clarinet; Teag Reaves, principal horn; and Jon Lewis, principal trumpet.
Conductor Rei Hotoda has been hailed as an inexhaustible dynamo with a deep commitment to reimagining the 21st-century concert experience. Her vision can be seen through her thought-provoking programming, passionate allyship to marginalized artists, advocacy for arts education and unwavering commitment to presenting the music of our times.
Ms. Hotoda’s success as the music director of the Fresno Philharmonic since 2017 has resulted in the extension of her tenure through the 2025 season. She has appeared as a guest conductor with many of today’s leading ensembles, including the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, Detroit, Toronto, Winnipeg, Hawaii and Utah as well as the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, among others.
Her interpretations of such epic centerpieces of the classical canon such as Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 8” and Britten’s “War Requiem,” make her one of the most sought-after conductors today.
Mr. Williams’ 45-year artistic partnership with director Steven Spielberg has resulted in many of Hollywood’s most acclaimed and successful films including “Schindler’s List,” “E.T. The ExtraTerrestrial,” “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park” and the “Indiana Jones” films, among so many notable others.
He has received five Academy Awards and 52 Oscar nominations, making him the Academy’s most-nominated living person and the second-most nominated person in the history of the Oscars. He has received seven British Academy Awards, 25 Grammys, four Golden Globes, five Emmys, and numerous gold and platinum records.
His contributions to television music include scores for more than 200 television films. In 2009, Mr. Williams was inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and he received the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists by the U.S. Government.
In 2016, he received the 44th Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute, the first time in its history that this honor was bestowed upon a composer. In 2020, he received Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts, as well as the Gold Medal from the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society in the UK.
email: mmcmahon@newspress.com
FYI
For more information, call 805-898-9386 or visit www.thesymphony.org.
