The Legacy of John Williams Podcast

GRAMMY-winning violinist talks about her life as a musician and her deep love for John Williams’ music, sharing memories of performing with and for the maestro. Anne Akiko Meyers stands among the most influential violinists of our times. A GRAMMY® Award-winning artist with four decades of international acclaim, Meyers is a defining force in the field of contemporary music and has helped reshape the modern violin repertoire. She has been called “the Wonder Woman of commissioning” for her enduring commitment to playing and commissioning music by some of the most important composers of the last half century, including Arvo Pärt, Einojuhani Rautavaara, John Corigliano, Arturo Márquez, Philip Glass, Michael Daugherty, Mason Bates Morten Lauridsen, Wynton Marsalis, Somei Satoh, and Eric Whitacre. Anne Akiko Meyers is a huge admirer of John Williams since her youth. At age 19, she performed Camille Saint-Saëns's "Introduction and Rondò Capriccioso" at Boston's Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Williams. In 2018, she performed Williams’s “Theme from Schindler’s List” with David Newman and The American Youth Symphony to honor the composer, when he received a Trustees Award during a gala concert celebrating the Recording Academy’s 2018 GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends. Meyers was part of another recent pivotal moment in Williams’ life, when in November 2025 the Los Angeles Philharmonic announced to name the stage of the renowned Hollywood Bowl after the composer. In this in-depth conversation, Meyers talks about her career in music and her mission to perform new music by living composers; she offers reflections on Barber's Violin Concerto, which is one of her favourite pieces to perform; she also shares stories and memories of performing with and for John Williams on several occasions, while professing her deep love for the music of the maestro. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2026/03/27/legacy-conversations-anne-akiko-meyers/

Hosted and Curated by Maurizio Caschetto On February 8, John Williams turns 94. It’s always very exciting to celebrate our beloved Maestro for his birthday and this year The Legacy of John Williams has prepared a gigantic tribute in the form of a 2-part podcast special that will hopefully engage and entertain you for a whole weekend of John Williams-themed festivities. The special is titled Words and Music by John Williams and that’s what you’re going to experience: over the course of two episodes you’ll hear a hefty selection of pieces from John Williams’s immense catalogue interjected with quotes from the Maestro himself, continuing a tradition that The Legacy of John Williams started since its early days. During the course of several decades, John Williams gave countless interviews to the press, sharing his wisdom, knowledge and also his wit on many occasions, illustrating his working process, elaborating on his ideas on music and reflecting on his incredible life journey. John Williams’ words are often as inspiring as his music and his thoughts and ideas speak more eloquently than any commentary one could put together. The selection you’ll be listening to in this 2-part special contains a wide variety of compositions by Maestro Williams for both film and the concert hall. It has been assembled to avoid the usual greatest hits collection that you can easily find elsewhere, but mostly to offer a broad look at the Maestro’s oeuvre and casting a spotlight on his chamelon-like ability in writing in many different styles while always sounding unmistakeably like himself. It’s not meant to be a chronological overview nor it has pretensions of being exhaustive. It’s curated to create a flowing and emotional musical journey: Take it as a sort of personal playlist that The Legacy of John Williams is sharing with all of you. Part 2 will be available from February 8, 2026. The full track listing available at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2026/02/06/john-williams-birthday-special/

Talented young composer talks about his love for the music of John Williams and how it inspired his incredible journey toward film scoring The landscape of contemporary film music is certainly eclectic and varied, but it feels a lot emptier than in the past if one craves for the classic storytelling-like, leitmotivic-based, orchestral film scores that accompanied many of the great movies of the past... But it's not time to lose hope yet, thanks to the talent of a very young composer who is becoming the "talk of the town" among film music aficionados and has put his name on the map as one of the most promising emerging talents in Hollywood: composer Cameron Moody. Cameron Moody is an American composer, conductor, and trumpeter based in Los Angeles, CA. His distinctive utilization of the symphony orchestra has given way to a varied resume, with project genres in film and television ranging from action and documentaries to romance and comedies. He recently composed the score for the Hulu original limited series Washington Black, an epic tale of courage, adventure and freedom accompanied by an ambitious symphonic score in the style of John Williams, who is one of Cameron's role models and whose music inspired him to become a film composer. Cameron was also a frequent collaborator of Emmy-nominated and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels, composing additional music on scores such as Disney’s Star Wars: The Acolyte—for which he also served as a conductor. In this conversation, Cameron sits down with The Legacy of John Williams to talk about his deep love for the music of the Maestro, reminiscing how crucial it was for his upbringing as a child and how it shaped his dreams to become a fully fledged film composer. He also talks about his incredible journey that brought him to Hollywood, the joys and the challenges of writing new Star Wars music and his expansive work for the limited series Washington Black. For more information: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2025/10/31/cameron-moody-podcast Washington Black music featurette: https://youtu.be/ySWqCtiqX3w?si=tGvsOPZTRhd6v77H

Head of Music Preparation and Librarian for John Williams talks about his many years of close collaboration with the composer in a key role. Hosted and Produced by Maurizio Caschetto Mark Graham is Hollywood’s first-call “music prep man” and a name trusted by the entire community when it comes to the preparation and the recording of film scores, having worked as orchestrator, conductor, head of music prep, librarian and copyist on literally thousands of film and television projects. The head of music preparation is one of the most important member of the team that creates a film soundtrack and, together with the music editor, is often the composer’s right-hand person. He started to collaborate with John Williams in the late 1990s as part of the music prep team, taking the mantle from Williams' longtime trusted music preparator and librarian JoAnn Kane (who founded JoAnn Kane Music Service in the mid-1980s, the leading music preparation company for virtually the whole industry). Graham inherited JoAnn Kane Music Service and became the owner of the company, becoming Williams’ right-hand man for music preparation of all of his works. During all these years, Mark collaborated very closely with Williams in a key position, seeing first hand his working method and becoming a trusted colleague who ensured that everything would always go smoothly and efficiently. In addition to his work for John Williams, Graham also worked as orchestrator and conductor for such composers as Alan Silvestri, John Debney, Alexandre Desplat and Theodore Shapiro. As head of music preparation, he worked on an impressive series of successful films, including such all-time box office hits as Avengers: Endgame and Avatar: The Way of Water. Mark sits down for a rare conversation with The Legacy of John Williams to talk about the path that led him to become the leading music preparator in Hollywood and to his collaboration with John Williams, telling stories and anecdotes about his three decades of work for the Maestro and sharing the unique insight he collected over the years by being one of Williams’ closest and most trusted colleagues. For more information, read at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2025/09/30/mark-graham-podcast/

LA-based arts journalist sits down to talk about the path that led him to write the first major biography on John Williams and his lifelong love for the music of the Maestro Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim BurdenEdited and Produced by Maurizio Caschetto John Williams: A Composer's Life is the first major biography in English language on the legendary American composer, authored by Los Angeles-based writer Tim Greiving and published by Oxford University Press (release date is September 2, 2025). The 640-page book is an engaging overview on the life and career of the renowned composer, a comprehensive retrospective of a musician who defined the sound of movies for at least two generations of filmgoers and whose body of work is among the most well known of the modern era, going beyond its mere function as musical accompaniment to a film and becoming a revered object in itself. Yet the man has remained very private all throughout his career and while he became a beloved public figure, he kept his personal life very far from the spotlight. Through unique access to the composer himself and many of his longtime collaborators, friends, and family members, Greiving offers an exhaustive portrait of the man behind the genius, accurately chronicling his entire life and the incredible career trajectory that led him to become "the Maestro of the Movies." Tim Greiving sits down with The Legacy of John Williams to talk about his lifelong love for John Williams' music, his quest in bringing the first biography on the Maestro to life, the thorough learning process he went through when meeting and talking with his idol and the weight of the daunting task he chose. Read more at The Legacy of John Williams: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2025/07/16/tim-greiving-podcast/ Pre-order John Williams: A Composer's Life on Oxford University Press:https://global.oup.com/academic/product/john-williams-9780197620885 Tim Greiving's official website: https://timgreiving.com/Follow Tim Greiving's Substack Behind The Moon: https://behindthemoon.substack.com/

Listen to a fascinating journey showcasing highlights and curiosities from over 50 years of re-recordings of John Williams’ music Hosted by Tim Burden What are the best re-recordings of John Williams’ music by other conductors? Star Wars is famously one of the most re-recorded pieces of music in the world, yet there are so much more John Williams re-recordings by many top conductors which deserves a bit of recognition. Join The Legacy of John Williams Head Contributor Tim Burden in a fascinating journey showcasing highlights and curiosities from over 50 years of re-recordings of John Williams’ music—from the superb readings by Charles Gerhardt and Zubin Mehta to the recent vibrant recordings by Gustavo Dudamel, including some fun and unexpected oddities in-between. If you want to dig deeper on the subject, read the in-depth essay by Editor Maurizio Caschetto chronicling the history of John Williams’ re-recordings.

Intrada Records announced the release of a newly expanded and remastered soundtrack 3-CD limited edition of John Williams' triumphant score for The Patriot, the historical epic drama from 2000 directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Mel Gibson as a hero of the American Revolution. The Academy Award-nominated score by Maestro Williams is a powerful, ambitious work full of stirring emotions enhancing the rousing adventure aspect of the film, but also replete with lyrical moments accompanying the inner feelings of the characters, including tender folk-like violin solos by Mark O'Connor. The score has plenty to offer in terms of themes and leitmotifs: a sonorous Americana theme and fanfare-like material for main hero Benjamin Martin; a gorgeous love theme for the characters of Anne and Gabriel; a haunting trumpet solo echoing Benjamin's traumatic war memories; plus a handful of secondary motifs. Williams also addresses the period in which the film takes place with authentic fife-and-drum music. The new soundtrack release is mastered, edited and produced for Intrada by Mike Matessino and presents the complete film presentation of Williams' score on Disc 1 and 2, plus a solid selection of alternate cues and a generous selection of source music tracks, including several composed by John Williams (got to thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com for the full track listing). A remastered presentation of the original Hollywood Records soundtrack album from 2000 rounds off the third disc. The 3-CD set also features a colorful booklet with film stills and in-depth liner notes by John Takis. The release will be available to order starting January 20th at Intrada.com and will begin shipping immediately afterwards. Intrada has graciously allowed The Legacy of John Williams to present an exclusive preview of this magnificent new release, hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden, including a full unreleased track ("The Defeat At Charleston"). Special Thanks to Roger Feigelson and Jeff Johnson at Intrada, Mike Matessino and John Takis.

Principal Percussion of the London Symphony Orchestra talks about playing for John Williams on such film scores as the Star Wars prequels, Harry Potter and also in several live performances. When it comes to the world of percussion in the orchestral canon, very few musicians in the world can bring to the table the same level of expertise, knowledge and mastery as Neil Percy, the Principal Percussion of the London Symphony Orchestra since 1990 and Head of Timpani and Percussion at the Royal Academy of Music since 2000. Neil performed in more than 150 film soundtracks, working with such composers as John Williams, James Horner, Patrick Doyle, Trevor Jones and Alexandre Desplat with their music for films such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Braveheart, Notting Hill, Twilight: New Moon and Unbroken, to name a very few. His experiences with John Williams are among Neil’s most cherished memories of playing with the LSO, as he matured a sincere love for the Maestro’s music over the years. In this conversation, Neil Percy sits down with The Legacy of John Williams to talk about his career in music, the fulfilling of his dream of being part of the LSO and his many memories of playing for John Williams on such film scores as Star Wars and Harry Potter, and also on several studio recordings conducted by the Maestro, offering his unique perspective as a percussion player. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/11/29/neil-percy-podcast/

Tommy Tedesco (1930-1997) was an American guitarist who worked for almost 40 years and had one of the greatest careers as a studio musician in Los Angeles and Hollywood. He performed on a gazillion of recording dates, including thousands of film and television scoring sessions for virtually all the major film composers in Hollywood. Tedesco was part of an unofficial collective of studio musicians labeled as "The Wrecking Crew," who performed (often uncredited) on an impressive amount of recordings for pop and rock artists between the late 1950s and the early 1980s, including such big stars as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & The Papas, Sonny & Cher, Barbra Streisand, Nancy Sinatra, The 5th Dimension, The Byrds, and many others. In this episode of the "L.A. Studio Legends" series, producer and director Denny Tedesco talks about the extraordinary career of his father Tommy, from his early days as a young guitar player to the peak years of The Wrecking Crew, going in detail about his many experiences playing for John Williams on numerous projects, including such film scores as Conrack, The River and Indiana Jones. Denny also reflects on his father's unique legacy and how he celebrated it through his own documentary film The Wrecking Crew. For more detailed information, go to https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/07/19/tommy-tedesco-podcast/

Oboe and English Horn player extraordinaire talks his career as one of the most prominent double reed soloists in Hollywood and his many years playing for John Williams on such scores as Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, The Patriot, Memoirs of a Geisha and many others. For more information, go to https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/05/30/phil-ayling-podcast/

Composer & Conductor David Newman talks conducting classic film music live and the program curated by John Williams for the LA Phil concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on February 2-4. Featuring Writer and Journalist Tim Greiving Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden Film music is now a staple of the concert hall experience, with countless performances across the world by orchestras and ensembles of all kind, from local community symphonies to major historical institutions. Music from the movies is performed on the same stage where only the established canon of classical repertoire was once allowed, bringing a new audience to the concert hall and reinvigorating the live experience with innovative formats like the live-to-picture concerts. If this is now an accepted reality of the classical music landscape, a huge part is owed to John Williams and his 45-year activity as a champion of conducting film music in concert halls. On February 2, 3 and 4 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, David Newman is conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a program called A Century Of Film Music. The concert is part of a series curated by John Williams and it features an exciting selection offering a journey through several decades of great film music with pieces by some of the finest composers who ever wrote for the movies. This is the starting point of this new Legacy Conversation podcast episode, a lively discussion with David Newman about the challenges and the opportunities of performing film music in the concert hall, while also reflecting on how crucial John Williams has been in making film music more widely accepted and recognized. Joining the discussion is writer and journalist Tim Greiving, who has followed the film music industry closely for almost 20 years and witnessed the transformation of how music from the movies is perceived by the audience. Read more: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/02/02/legacy-conversations-a-century-of-film-music Listen to "A Century Of Film Music" playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1blGRnjBOFUA4xfGZiX08O

Part 2 of the podcast special dedicated to La-La Land Records’ magnificent 3-CD set of John Williams’ masterful score for the 1991 Steven Spielberg fantasy epic Hook – The Ultimate Edition is a 3-CD collection with a newly restored and expanded presentation of the magnificent score composed by John Williams for the 1991 film directed by Steven Spielberg. Assembled, mastered and produced by Mike Matessino in full cooperation with the composer, the new release presents this seminal Williams’ work in a truly definitive and loving treatment, with the complete score presented in the film’s narrative order on disc 1 and 2, and a third disc featuring for the first time all the songs by John Williams and Leslie Bricusse for when the film was supposed to be a musical. In Part 2 of the Hook - The Ultimate Edition podcast special, producer Mike Matessino returns to discuss more of the musical contents of La-La Land Records' magnificent release, together with associate producers and co-writers of the liner notes John Takis and Jason LeBlanc. During the conversation, the trio of special guests dissect all the riches found in the treasure chest of this John Williams' score, analyzing the score's main themes, how the songs' melodies were reworked into the thematic fabric of the piece and offering their own thoughts and reflections on the film and its score. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/12/27/hook-podcast-special

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino and Writer John Takis talk two early John Williams' masterworks, now available in new remastered editions from Quartet Records Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden European-based soundtrack label Quartet Records announced a 2-CD set presenting new remastered editions of two early masterworks in John Williams' filmography: Heidi (1968) and Jane Eyre (1970), both newly restored, assembled, mastered and produced by Mike Matessino. Both scores were composed by Williams for two made-for-television films produced by Frederick H. Brogger for Omnibus Productions and both directed by Academy Award-winning director Delbert Mann. In this new podcast conversation, soundtrack producer Mike Matessino and film music writer John Takis talk the history of these two early landmark John Williams' scores, offering insights and reflections on the special quality and the timelessness of both scores, how they sits in the Williams' canon and chronicling the laborious restoration process both recordings went through for this new spectacular release, another one that cannot be missed in the CD collection of any true John Williams' admirer. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/12/21/heidi-and-jane-eyre-podcast