In a landmark announcement from The Juilliard School, the world-renowned institution revealed a monumental bequest from the legendary Composer John Williams. The Academy Award-winning maestro has gifted his complete library of concert and film music scores, along with his personal sketchbooks, to Juilliard. This extraordinary donation, unveiled at a special alumni event in Los Angeles, promises to be an unparalleled resource for music scholars and students for generations to come. Juilliard President Joseph W. Polisi presented Mr. Williams with the President’s Medal at the event, underscoring the significance of this gift.
President Polisi expressed profound gratitude for Williams’ generosity, stating, “We are deeply grateful to John for his extraordinary generosity in bequeathing Juilliard his extensive library of both concert and film scores. John has been a wonderful friend and colleague for many years. His artistry, creativity, and endless imagination make him one of the most admired and respected musicians of our time. His gift will be a unique resource for all of our musicians at the school, particularly composition students who can study first-hand John’s breadth and versatility as a composer.” This highlights the immense educational value inherent in the John Williams Music Collection.
Mr. Williams, a former student of Juilliard faculty member Rosina Lhévinne, shared his deep respect for the institution: “Since my earliest days as a fledgling piano student, I have looked up to the Juilliard School as the Mecca for the study of music in our country and beyond,” he remarked. “It’s therefore a privilege for me to donate my sketches, papers, and scores to Juilliard, to be made available to those students particularly interested in the intimate processes of film scoring.“ This personal connection and his desire to educate future generations of composers are central to his contribution.
Jane Gottlieb, Juilliard’s vice president for library and information resources, emphasized the collection’s broad appeal: “The John Williams Music Collection will be an extraordinary resource for scholars, students, and all who are interested in understanding his career as a composer and conductor.” It will reside within the esteemed Peter Jay Sharp Special Collections and Juilliard School Archives, alongside other prestigious collections, ensuring its accessibility and preservation within the Lila Acheson Wallace Library. Juilliard regularly exhibits materials from these collections, offering further opportunities for public engagement.
John Williams: A Titan of Music
At 86 years young, and marking his 60th year as a composer, John Williams’ career is nothing short of iconic. His upcoming project, a fantasia for cello, harp, and orchestra titled Highwood’s Ghost, commissioned for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and premiered at Tanglewood as part of the Leonard Bernstein Centennial, further demonstrates his ongoing creativity. This piece is especially notable as it was written for Juilliard alumnus Yo-Yo Ma and harpist Jessica Zhou. Having served as Boston Pops Laureate Conductor since his retirement in 1993 after 14 remarkable seasons, and holding the title of artist in residence at Tanglewood, Williams remains deeply embedded in the classical music world.
Beyond his celebrated film scores, Williams’ contributions to the concert stage are substantial and critically acclaimed. His works include two symphonies, concertos for cello and harp (Boston Symphony Orchestra), bassoon (New York Philharmonic), trumpet (Cleveland Orchestra), and horn (Chicago Symphony Orchestra). His composition and arrangement of Air and Simple Gifts for President Barack Obama’s first inaugural ceremony in 2009 showcased his ability to create impactful music for national moments.
However, it is arguably his film scores that have cemented his legendary status. Composer John Williams has garnered five Oscars and an astounding 24 Grammys, with 51 Academy Award nominations, making him the most nominated living person. His recent Grammy win for Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a testament to his enduring talent. He has scored over 100 films, including the entire Star Wars saga, the first three Harry Potter films, Superman, JFK, and countless others. His 40-year collaboration with Steven Spielberg has produced some of cinema’s most beloved and successful films, such as Schindler’s List (featuring Juilliard faculty member and alumnus Itzhak Perlman), E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Jaws, and the Indiana Jones series. His reach extends to television as well, with scores for over 200 television films, and iconic themes for the 1984, 1988, 1996 Summer Olympic Games, and the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Accolades and Early Influences
In addition to his Oscars and Grammys, composer John Williams boasts seven British Academy Awards (BAFTA), four Golden Globes, five Emmys, and numerous gold and platinum records. He received Kennedy Center Honors in 2004, induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009, and the National Medal of Arts the same year. In 2016, he was honored with the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award, a first for a composer.
Born in Flushing, New York, in 1932, Williams’ musical journey began at age six. His father, a percussionist for the CBS radio orchestra, provided an early musical environment. Moving to Los Angeles in his high school years, he studied at UCLA and Los Angeles City College, focusing on orchestration, and privately with Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Military service during the Korean War saw him arranging and conducting for military bands. Returning to civilian life in 1954, he studied piano with Rosina Lhévinne at Juilliard and explored jazz piano. By 1956, he was working in Hollywood, starting as a studio pianist, including on South Pacific, and collaborating with esteemed composers like Juilliard alumnus Bernard Herrmann.
A Lasting Juilliard Legacy
John Williams’ relationship with Juilliard has been a long and fruitful one. He received an honorary doctorate in 2004 and conducted the Juilliard Orchestra in their centennial gala in 2006, broadcast nationally on Live From Lincoln Center. In 2011, Juilliard further honored him by naming its orchestra library the John Williams Orchestra Library. This latest gift of the John Williams Music Collection solidifies his enduring legacy at Juilliard, providing unparalleled access to the workings of a master composer for future generations of musicians.
About Juilliard’s Library and Archives
The Lila Acheson Wallace Library at Juilliard is a cornerstone of the school, offering extensive resources for performance and research. Its collection includes over 85,000 music scores, 27,000 books, 26,000 sound recordings, and 3,000 videos. It is also home to the Juilliard Manuscript Collection, a world-leading collection of autograph manuscripts, sketches, and first editions, and the Peter Jay Sharp Special Collections.
About Juilliard
Founded in 1905 and located at Lincoln Center in New York City, The Juilliard School is a global leader in performing arts education, dedicated to nurturing gifted musicians, dancers, and actors. With over 800 students from around the world, Juilliard offers a wide range of programs and performances, shaping the future of the performing arts globally through its New York and Tianjin campuses and K-12 curricula.
