In honor of the 80th birthday of one of the world’s most distinctive and beloved musical voices, Sony Classical is proud to announce the release of A Tribute to John Williams – An 80th Birthday Celebration. With instantly recognizable themes from some of the biggest movie blockbusters in recent memory, the album is a celebration of John Williams’ stellar career. The collection contains his personal favorites, chosen from his film and television music as well as concert works and festive occasion pieces. Of special note is the previously unreleased recording of Williams’ joyous “Happy Birthday Variations.” Starting with the theme from Jaws through his latest score for the critically acclaimed War Horse, A Tribute to John Williams – An 80th Birthday Celebration is a collection of brilliant music from one of America’s greatest composers.
John Williams is best known as the dean of film composers and possibly the most beloved American composer of orchestral music in his time. In a career spanning almost six decades, Williams has composed some of the most popular film scores in the history of motion pictures; the Star Wars series, Jaws, the Indiana Jones films, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Schindler’s List, the first three Harry Potter films and many more. Winner of twenty-one Grammy® Awards, four Golden Globe® Awards and five Academy Awards®, Williams is easily the most successful composer working in film today.
All of the music on this album is both composed and conducted by John Williams, and also features performances by Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, The Boston Pops and the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra!
