John Williams Essentials

Known for his triumphant fanfares and stirring melodies, composer John Williams has been thrilling filmgoers for decades. Thanks to his classic scores for films like Star Wars, Jaws and E.T., Williams has earned dozens of Oscar nominations over a long and prolific career that began in the late '50s. While his electrifying film work would be enough to cement his legacy as one of the great modern composers, Williams has also written many symphonies, concertos and chamber pieces in the lush neo-Romantic style that has become his trademark.