The Legacy of John Williams Podcast
Episodes
Monday Feb 22, 2021
Legacy Conversations: Ann Hobson Pilot
Monday Feb 22, 2021
Monday Feb 22, 2021
Legendary harpist talks her distinguished career as former Principal Harp for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops, including the many collaborations with John Williams and the premiere of the Harp Concerto On Willows and Birches, composed for her by the Maestro in 2009
Ann Hobson Pilot is one of the most talented women in the classical music who ever performed in United States and also a distinguished international soloist, teacher, mentor and moving force behind music educational programs for underserved minorities. She has been Principal Harp for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops for almost 30 years, from 1980 until his retirement in 2009. She joined the BSO in 1969 as Associate Principal Harp after stints in the Pittsburgh Symphony and Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra where he performed as Principal Harp for 3 years (1966-69). Ann has the distinguished credit of being the very first African-American woman to land a Principal role in an American orchestra, building herself a career through her talent and unique sensibility back in a time where the classical music scene was still a predominant white male-driven environment.
Ann Hobson Pilot started to perform for John Williams in 1980, when the Maestro accepted the post as Principal Conductor of the Boston Pops. After many years performing under former Pops’ music director Arthur Fiedler (who died in 1979), Ann immediately got in perfect harmony with Williams’ musicianship (“he brought a breath of fresh air”, she said) and his own fabulous music. She was frequently featured as soloist in concerts and recordings with the Boston Pops often performing many of the Maestro’s exquisite passages for harp, including music from Schindler’s List, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Harry Potter and Angela’s Ashes, all of which feature extensive writing for harp. Ann was also principal harp on the original soundtrack recording of Schindler’s List, where he performs in duet with violinist Itzhak Perlman.
When Pilot announced her retirement as BSO’s Principal Harp, Williams set to write a Concerto for Harp specifically for her, titled On Willows and Birches. The composer wrote the concerto during the spring and summer of 2009, and the piece was premiered on September 23, 2009, as part of the Opening Night of BSO’s annual subscription season.
In addition to her career as musician, Ann Hobson Pilot spent a lifetime devoted to teaching and mentoring young students in distinguished music schools and conservatories (including the New England Conservatory of Music and Boston University) and appearing in masterclasses and seminars at the Tanglewood Music Institute. She’s currently affiliated with the State College of Florida, in addition to the Tanglewood Music Center and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.
In this conversation, Ann talks about her incredible life and career as classical musician, her challenges and obstacles of being an African-American woman playing in an environment predominantly white and male-driven and her many collaborations with John Williams, including the thrill and the honour of having a concerto written for her by the Maestro. She also talks about the recording of the film score for Schindler’s List and many other favourite memories of working together with John Williams for almost 30 years.
For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/02/22/ann-hobson-pilot-podcast/
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
Legacy Conversations #10: Ben Palmer
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
The esteemed British conductor talks on his work as a specialist of Live to Picture concerts and his love and admiration for the music of John Williams
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto
Ben Palmer is one of Europe’s foremost specialists in conducting live to film. He conducted many of the most successful film concerts in the UK and across mainland Europe, appearing in prestige venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London. Palmer conducted virtually all of the John Williams films available in this format, such as the Star Wars trilogy, Jurassic Park, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, Home Alone, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Palmer became also a profound connoisseur and student of John Williams's music, developing an intimate and profound knowledge of the composer’s style and language. I
n this long and engaging conversation with The Legacy of John Williams, Ben Palmer talks in-depth about the details, the intricacies and the challenges of conducting live to picture performances of John Williams’s film scores, while also offering his own insightful thoughts about Williams’s place in music history, sharing his deep love and admiration for the music of the Maestro.
For more information and the list of all musical excerpts, go to thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com
Tuesday Jun 09, 2020
Legacy Conversations #9: Marcus Paus
Tuesday Jun 09, 2020
Tuesday Jun 09, 2020
The acclaimed Norwegian composer talks about his artistic journey, his approach to composition and how John Williams’s music has been a continuous source of inspiration
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto
Norwegian composer Marcus Paus (b.1979) is one of the most performed and acclaimed contemporary classical musicians of his generation, and one of the most lauded Scandinavian composers working today. The rich and diverse catalog includes chamber music, works for solo musicians, choral music, orchestral works, opera and also works for the theater and film.
Paus is one of the strongest representatives in the contemporary classical music world of a reorientation toward tradition, melody and tonality. His works are often distinguished by a flowing melodic vein, full of lyricism and characterized by a complex harmonic language.
Growing up in a musical family, Marcus was surrounded by music since he was a toddler, but the spark that ignited his love for orchestral music were the classic scores composed by John Williams for films like E.T., Superman, Indiana Jones and the Star Wars saga. Paus acknowledges that the music of Williams has been one of the most profound inspirations of his life, becoming an element that helped him pursuing his goal as a composer.
In this long and engaging conversation with The Legacy of John Williams, Marcus talks about his own artistic journey and his approach to composition while also sharing his accurate observations on the music of John Williams and why the Maestro continues to be an endless source of inspiration for him and many other musicians worldwide.
For the full list of the musical excerpts featured in the episode visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2020/06/09/marcus-paus-podcast/
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
Legacy Conversations #8: Sandy DeCrescent
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
The legendary Music Contractor talks about her 50+ years career in Hollywood's film music industry and her long and fruitful collaboration with composer John Williams
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto
Sandy DeCrescent is the leading music contractor working in Hollywood's film music industry. Her impressive resumé includes literally thousands of films, including many of the most beloved and successful ever produced (Jaws, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Titanic, Avatar). She worked closely for most, if not all, the most in-demand film composers of the last four decades such as Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Alan Silvestri, Randy Newman, Howard Shore, James Newton Howard, Hans Zimmer, and of course John Williams.
Discover more at thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com
Thursday Nov 14, 2019
Legacy Conversations #7: Frank Lehman
Thursday Nov 14, 2019
Thursday Nov 14, 2019
Music Theorist and Film Musicologist from Tufts University talks about how John Williams’s film scores shaped his interest in music and his path to academia, with a spotlight on his catalogue of the themes and motifs from the Star Wars saga
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto
John Williams has inspired creative people in many different ways through his music for films. He’s a force that influences people in a wide variety of fields related to music and film. Among them, we must include also people working in education and formative fields, including scholars and academics...
Read more at thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com
Monday Sep 09, 2019
Legacy Conversations #6: John Mauceri
Monday Sep 09, 2019
Monday Sep 09, 2019
The esteemed American conductor talks about the history and the aesthetic of music written in Hollywood during the Golden Age era and how it led to the rise of John Williams.
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto
There are very few musicians in the world who can easily compare to Maestro John Mauceri. Conductor, educator, writer and lecturer, Mauceri conducted the world's greatest opera companies and symphony orchestras, but also worked on the musical stages of Broadway and Hollywood...
For more information and details on the music excerpts featured in the episode go to thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Legacy Conversations #5: Brett Mitchell
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
American conductor and Music Director of the Colorado Symphony talks about John Williams and how the music of the Maestro inspired him throughout his artistic and personal life.
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto
Talented conductor Brett Mitchell talks about how much the music of John Williams played a crucial role in his artistic and personal life. We also talk about the challenges of conducting live-to-picture concerts, the differences between film and concert works, the importance of John Williams in the history of American music, and Brett’s attitude when preparing and programming a concert program.
Discover more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/08/29/brett-mitchell-podcast/
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Legacy Conversations #4: Joe Kraemer
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
The composer of The Way of the Gun, Jack Reacher, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation talks about being inspired by the music of John Williams and his life as film composer in Hollywood.
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto
In this wide-ranging conversation, film composer Joe Kraemer talks about his career, his own study path and his life as a film composer in contemporary Hollywood, but above all, he talks how and why John Williams is still one of his main inspirations both as a composer and as professional of the film music industry.
Discover more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/06/10/joe-kraemer-podcast/
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Legacy Conversations #3: David Newman
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
American composer and conductor David Newman talks about the music of John Williams and its ties to the rich musical legacy of his father Alfred Newman
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto
There are very few musicians working in contemporary Hollywood that could rival the same amount of experience, knowledge and family heritage of distinguished composer and conductor David Newman.
In this wide-ranging conversation, David talks about the music of John Williams and its legacy, going in-depth about many aspects of Williams’ approach to the artform of film music, while also paying tribute to the heritage of his father Alfred Newman and the music-making at 20th Century Fox from the 1930s to the late 1950s and how it ties to John Williams’ legacy.
Discover more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/05/31/david-newman-podcast/
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Legacy Conversations #2: Leonard Slatkin
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
Wednesday Sep 04, 2019
The internationally acclaimed American conductor talks about the music of John Williams and his friendship with the Maestro.
Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto
In this episode, the esteemed American conductor Leonard Slatkin talks about his personal friendship with the composer, offering also thoughtful considerations about Williams’ music, which he conducted in concerts for many years. He also talks about the incredible legacy of the Slatkin family and how it crossed paths with the career of John Williams himself.
Discover more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/05/16/leonard-slatkin-podcast/