John Williams honoured with stage dedication at the Hollywood Bowl
John Williams has been honoured with the first ever stage dedication to be made at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
The news was announced by the Los Angeles Philharmonic during a private unveiling ceremony of a sign outside the stage, marking the first time in the organisation’s 103-year history that such an honour has been bestowed upon an individual in the industry.
The dedication of the stage to Williams’s prolific life and body of work is being supported by many of those close to the LA Philharmonic, as well as the composer’s friends, including Steven Spielberg’s The Hearthland Foundation, actor and writer Seth McFarlane, and The JJ Abrams Family Foundation.
LA Philharmonic’s President and CEO, Kim Noltemy, said at the ceremony (via Variety): “The Hollywood Bowl has become synonymous with John Williams’ music. His scores have captivated generations of filmgoers, and his concerts at the Bowl have defined what it means to experience film music live.”
She added: “This dedication honours not only his artistic brilliance but also the way he has helped shape the Bowl into the most recognisable stage for symphonic film music.”
In addition, Spielberg also recognised the excellence of the esteemed musician, noting, “Without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, nor do men in red capes,” Spielberg said.
Spielberg added, “There is no Force, dinosaurs do not walk the Earth. We do not wonder, we do not weep, we do not believe.”
The 93-year-old composer spoke at the ceremony, giving his thanks to the donors as well as the LA Philharmonic, before stating: “This is an honour that is unprecedented and unequaled in generosity shown by the Los Angeles Philharmonic family — my family — in making this dedication.”
Williams has been behind hundreds of Hollywood’s most famous film scores, from Star Wars to Harry Potter to Jurassic Park, and is set to continue working after it was recently confirmed that he will score Spielberg’s upcoming UFO movie, reportedly set to star a massive ensemble cast led by Emily Blunt.
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