FEATURE JOHN WILLIAMS AND THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL

JOHN WILLIAMS

AND THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL

Across generations and continents, from movie theaters to concert halls around the world, the music of John Williams connects us all. Today, orchestras everywhere perform John Williams’ fi lm music live. In the summer of 1977, it had never been done before. Ernest Fleischmann—then the LA Phil’s General Manager—changed that.

JOHN WILLIAMS CONDUCTING THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC AT A 2016 MAESTRO OF THE MOVIES CONCERT AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL.

Photos by Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging

STAR WARS RECORDING SESSION AT UCLA ROYCE HALL IN THE STUDIO WITH JOHN WILLIAMS (LEFT) AND ZUBIN MEHTA (CENTERLEFT),

IN DECEMBER 1977. Photo by Ken Veeder

CONCERTMASTER SIDNEY HARTH, CHEWBACCA IN AN ANGELS JERSEY AND A COSTUMED DARTH VADER PROMOTE THE MUSIC FROM OUTER SPACE CONCERT AT ANAHEIM STADIUM IN 1977.

The orchestra was scheduled to travel with its music director, Zubin Mehta, to Japan for a tour, but the Japanese company promoting it went bankrupt, and the tour was canceled. Fleischmann suddenly needed to fi ll two weeks of the orchestra’s schedule. At the time, Star Wars fever was sweeping the nation. As Fleischmann later recalled:

“I saw the fi rst Star Wars fi lm over the opening weekend; I took the kids on [that] Sunday. I thought, ‘God, this score!’ It’s really the score and the sound ef ects that have made that movie what it was. It was almost Wagnerian. So, when we had this time on our hands, I asked John Williams whether it would be all right to do the Star Wars concert, and he certainly agreed, and Zubin learned the score. We got Laser Media to design a sort of laser program for it, and we advertised it, and of course by then, there was a lot of excitement about the fi lm, and we managed to fi ll the Bowl. And there was a lot written about it.”

The Star Wars concert at the Bowl was a resounding success—so much so that Fleischmann booked two nights at Angel Stadium in Anaheim and re-created the concert there the following summer.

Fleischmann was convinced of Williams’ merit, not just as a composer but also as a conductor. In the late ’50s, John Williams made his fi rst appearance on the Hollywood Bowl stage when he was hired as an orchestra pianist to play with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. But Williams’ conducting debut wouldn’t happen for another two decades, fi rst fi lling in for an ailing Arthur Fiedler in 1978 and, in the years that followed, conducting programs that focused on his own scores. As Williams recalled, taking that fi rst step onto the conductor’s podium was the result of the persuasive Fleischmann.

“I said, ‘No, no, I don’t conduct in public. You have a very good conductor in Zubin Mehta. You don’t need me,’” Williams remembers. “I really didn’t think I could do it. But Ernest was a very imposing fi gure and very important impresario in the classical music world. If he said you should do something, you’d be foolish not to do it.”

Williams began conducting his music at the Bowl and around the world. He recently celebrated more than four decades of regular appearances since his fi rst conducting appearance at the Bowl, greeted by an eager audience for three sold-out shows that brought more than 50,000 fans to their feet (many with lightsabers in hand).

One of those lightsaber-wielding fans at the Hollywood Bowl was Gustavo Dudamel, who was there to enjoy listening to the music of his boyhood and to share it with his own young son.

Williams and Dudamel have developed a close working relationship since Dudamel became Music & Artistic Director of the LA Phil. Williams helped mentor Dudamel when he composed the score for Alberto Arvelo’s 2013 fi lm Libertador.

Dudamel described Williams’ gifts eloquently when he joined him for a discussion about the art of fi lm music: “Every note, every simple note that John puts in a score, is a universe. And that note will give us what we want to feel. In the end, this is the power of what he does.”

Williams—so impressed with Dudamel’s abilities and love for fi lm music—of ered him the chance of a lifetime for a Star Wars fan: the opportunity to conduct the opening and closing music for 2015’s Star Wars, Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

“I remember thinking, ‘He’s joking,’” Dudamel said. “John has such a wonderful sense of humor, and I somehow thought that there must be a catch. It turns out there was: I couldn’t tell anyone!”

Williams turned 90 this past February, and the LA Phil is celebrating that milestone with the beloved annual Maestro of the Movies concerts (September 2–4), as well as the Walt Disney Concert Hall gala in September and an episode of the free streaming digital concert series Sound/Stage, which is available now.

Refl ecting on the incredible legacy of his music, Williams is characteristically humble: “It isn’t the music. It isn’t the orchestra. It isn’t the composer or the audience. It’s the connection … the nexus … the linking of all this together. I’m just a composer who puts dots on the page. But when Gustavo conducts it, the orchestra plays it, the audience hears it … it’s the interconnection of all of these elements that makes music—music.”

CONCERT FLYER FOR THE 1977 MUSIC FROM OUTER SPACE CONCERT AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL.

JOHN WILLIAMS WITH GUSTAVO DUDAMEL AT WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL.

Photo by Ryan Hunter

Janice K. Hahn

FOURTH DISTRICT Hilda L. Solis

FIRST DISTRICT Holly Mitchell

SECOND DISTRICT CHAIR Sheila J. Kuehl

THIRD DISTRICT CHAIR PRO TEM Kathryn Barger

FIFTH DISTRICT

The mission of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture is to advance arts, culture, and creativity throughout LA County. We provide leadership, services, and support in areas including grants and technical assistance for nonprofit organizations, countywide arts education initiatives, commissioning and care for civic art collections, research and evaluation, access to creative pathways, professional development, free community programs, and cross sector creative strategies that address civic issues. All of this work is framed by our longstanding commitment to fostering access to the arts, and the County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative.

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission supports and advocates for the mission, vision and values of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture. The Commission is an advisory group to the Board of Supervisors, with three appointees for each District.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic Association’s programs are made possible, in part, by generous grants from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Afairs, and from the National Endowment for the Arts.

County of Los Angeles

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Hilda L. Solis Holly Mitchell Chair Sheila J. Kuehl Chair Pro Tem Janice K. Hahn Kathryn Barger

COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION

Eric R. Eisenberg President Liane Weintraub Vice President Tim Dang Secretary Patrisse Cullors Executive Committee Member Constance Jolcuvar Immediate Past President

Pamela Bright-Moon Leticia Buckley Madeline Di Nonno Sandra P. Hahn Helen Hernandez Alis Clausen Odenthal Anita Ortiz Jennifer Price-Letscher Randi Tahara Rosalind Wyman

The Bowl’s food and wine team--James Beard Award Winners chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne of celebrated The Bowl’s food and wine team--James Beard Award Winners restaurants Lucques, a.o.c., Caldo Verde and Cara Cara - are now chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne of celebrated in their seventh year of providing exceptional cuisine designed restaurants Lucques, a.o.c., Caldo Verde and Cara Cara - are now to make your concert experiences even more spectacular. From in their seventh year of providing exceptional cuisine designed supper in your box seats to freshly-prepared picnic baskets and to make your concert experiences even more spectacular. From market-driven fare, there’s truly something for everyone. supper in your box seats to freshly-prepared picnic baskets and market-driven fare, there’s truly something for everyone. FOOD + WINE AT-A-GLANCE FOOD + WINE AT-A-GLANCE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB STARK PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB STARK

SUPPER IN YOUR SEATS SUPPER IN YOUR SEATS

Enjoy a delicious pre-concert meal served to you in the comfort of your box seats. Menu Enjoy a delicious pre-concert meal served to selections include Suzanne Goin’s three you in the comfort of your box seats. Menu course menus, family-style feasts, a la carte selections include Suzanne Goin’s three starters, main courses, desserts, and wine. course menus, family-style feasts, a la carte Order by 4pm the day before your concert. starters, main courses, desserts, and wine. Order by 4pm the day before your concert.

MARKETPLACES MARKETPLACES

Specialty sandwiches, seasonal grab-and-go salads, cheese + charcuterie plates, snacks, Specialty sandwiches, seasonal grab-and-go beer, wide-ranging variety of approachable salads, cheese + charcuterie plates, snacks, and delicious wines await you at all of three beer, wide-ranging variety of approachable of our Marketplaces. You’ll find everything and delicious wines await you at all of three you need to build a picnic from scratch or of our Marketplaces. You’ll find everything supplement one you already have. you need to build a picnic from scratch or supplement one you already have.

LUCQUES AT THE CIRCLE LUCQUES AT THE CIRCLE

Fine dining for subscribers of the Pool Circle, with a seasonal made-to-order menu and Fine dining for subscribers of the Pool Circle, an exceptional wine list styled from the with a seasonal made-to-order menu and award-winning restaurant Lucques. an exceptional wine list styled from the award-winning restaurant Lucques.

STREET FOOD & SNACKS STREET FOOD & SNACKS

A variety of delicious options are available throughout the Bowl, including street tacos, A variety of delicious options are available salads, specialty sandwiches, gourmet pizza, throughout the Bowl, including street tacos, pulled pork, artisan baked goods, sweets, and salads, specialty sandwiches, gourmet pizza, popcorn. pulled pork, artisan baked goods, sweets, and popcorn.

THE BACKYARD THE BACKYARD

Inspired by the gorgeous natural surroundings of the Bowl, this al fresco space has the feel Inspired by the gorgeous natural surroundings of a chic backyard in the Hollywood Hills. Two of the Bowl, this al fresco space has the feel large wood-burning grills are the focus of this of a chic backyard in the Hollywood Hills. Two farmers’ market-driven restaurant serving large wood-burning grills are the focus of this grilled fish, chops, steaks, vegetables, salads, farmers’ market-driven restaurant serving and raw bar items. grilled fish, chops, steaks, vegetables, salads, and raw bar items.

ANN’S WINE BAR by a.o.c. ANN’S WINE BAR by a.o.c.

Inspired by the original a.o.c. on 3rd St., Ann’s Wine Bar features a wide selection of Inspired by the original a.o.c. on 3rd St., Caroline’s favorite new and old world wines to Ann’s Wine Bar features a wide selection of be explored by both experienced and novice Caroline’s favorite new and old world wines to wine lovers, all paired with Suzanne Goin’s be explored by both experienced and novice signature small plates menu. Reservations wine lovers, all paired with Suzanne Goin’s recommended. signature small plates menu. Reservations recommended.

CATERING AT THE BOWL CATERING AT THE BOWL

Give your guests the experience of a lifetime when you host your next event at the Bowl! Give your guests the experience of a lifetime Our selection of seven beautiful venues is when you host your next event at the Bowl! perfect for events of all sizes, from intimate Our selection of seven beautiful venues is gatherings to elaborate afairs. perfect for events of all sizes, from intimate gatherings to elaborate afairs.

KITCHEN 22 KITCHEN 22

Kitchen 22 is the best place to indulge in fan favorites like burgers, French fries, fried Kitchen 22 is the best place to indulge in chicken, specialty sandwiches, and salads. fan favorites like burgers, French fries, fried chicken, specialty sandwiches, and salads.

Download the Hollywood Bowl app or scan one of the many QR codes to place an order from the comfort of your seat and skip the line at pick up. Mobile ordering is available throughout the venue.

PICNIC BOXES PICNIC BOXES It’s easier than ever to enjoy a picnic supper before your concert with five options for delectable fresh-made picnic boxes from Food + Wine. Simply pre-order online by 4 pm the day before your concert, and your choice will be waiting for you when you

MOBILE ORDERING: Download the Hollywood Bowl app or scan one of the many QR codes to place an order from the comfort of your seat and skip the line at pick up. Mobile ordering is available throughout the venue. MOBILE ORDERING: Download the Hollywood Bowl app or scan one of the many QR codes to place an order from the comfort of your seat and skip the line at pick up. Mobile ordering is available throughout the venue.

It’s easier than ever to enjoy a picnic supper before your concert with five options for It’s easier than ever to enjoy a picnic supper delectable fresh-made picnic boxes from before your concert with five options for Food + Wine. Simply pre-order online by delectable fresh-made picnic boxes from 4 pm the day before your concert, and your Food + Wine. Simply pre-order online by choice will be waiting for you when you 4 pm the day before your concert, and your arrive at the Bowl. choice will be waiting for you when you arrive at the Bowl.