The legendary composer John Williams has been celebrated since the release of the Disney+ documentary Music by John Williams. Despite being 92, he has stayed active. For the last five years, he has continued to compose and be a mainstay in music.
He composed the music for the final installment in the Skywalker saga, The Rise of Skywalker, in 2019, where he also made his first on-screen cameo for the Star Wars franchise as Oma Tres. He also worked again with his longtime collaborator, Steven Spielberg, twice composing the score for The Fabelmans and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
This work was nominated for a Grammy and the Oscars, giving Williams the second-most Academy Award nominations in history, behind only Walt Disney. He currently is in fifth place all time for Grammy nominations.
The Rise of Skywalker was not the last time he crafted music for the franchise. Williams recently composed the theme for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, released in 2022. Variety reported that he had recorded the song in secret before the series' release.
He most recently worked with ESPN and scored the piece "Of Grit and Glory" for the 2023 National Championship Game for NCAA Football. He also served as a musical consultant, working again with Speilberg on the remake of West Side Story in 2021.
The legendary composer has begun to shift towards conducting more over the last few years. He has spent the last few years working with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, where he has conducted both his Violin Concerto No. 2 and most famous pieces.
He was recently seen in Chicago this past October and will be performing in Los Angeles and Berlin in 2025. For anyone who watches the NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, the main theme is written by Williams himself.
As a fan of Williams' music, it is a pleasure to continue to hear his new work. My wife and I were in attendance at the 2022 concert in Pittsburgh. To seem him conduct was a treasue and a bucket list item I was able to cross off.
Last year, I purchased the vinyl record of Violin Concerto No.2, in which he works with acclaimed violinist Anne Sophie-Mutter. It was a great record, still with the flare and typical tones that any fan of Williams has come accustomed to.
As Williams continues to write music, he will continue to attract new fans to the long list of themes he creates.