Since the release of the first Star Wars movie over 40 years ago, the Star Wars saga has had a seismic impact on both cinema and culture-inspiring audiences around the world with its mythic storytelling, captivating characters, groundbreaking special effects and iconic musical scores composed by Williams.
STORY: Thirty years after the defeat of the Empire (and the destruction of the second Death Star), a new threat has risen: the sinister First Order, commanded by the mysterious Supreme Leader Snoke and his dark side apprentice Kylo Ren, rises from the ashes of the Empire. The Resistance, led by General Leia Organa – and unlikely heroes brought together by fate – are the galaxy’s only hope at thwarting a new reign of evil. The Resistance attempts to thwart the First Order’s threat, but they’re desperate for help. Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, find themselves joining forces with Han Solo and Chewbacca in a desperate mission to return a BB-unit droid with a map to Luke Skywalker back to the Resistance.
Legendary composer Williams is well known for scoring all nine of the
Star Wars saga films to date, beginning with 1977’s
Star Wars: A New Hope for which he earned an Academy Award® for Best Original Score. His scores for
The Empire Strikes Back,
Return of the Jedi,
Star Wars: The Force Awakens,
Star Wars: The Last Jedi,
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker were each nominated for Best Original Score.
Williams has won five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe® Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, five Emmy® Awards and 25 Grammy® Awards. With 52 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the Academy’s most nominated living person and the second most-nominated individual in history, after Walt Disney. In 2005, the American Film Institute selected Williams’ score to 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope as the greatest American film score of all time. The soundtrack to A New Hope also was preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry, for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl’s Hall of Fame in 2000, and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004, the National Medal of Arts in 2009, and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. Williams has composed the scores for eight of the top 20 highest-grossing films at the U.S. box office (adjusted for inflation).
From visionary director J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Force Awakens stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew and Max Von Sydow. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk are producing with Tommy Harper and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by J.J. Abrams & Lawrence Kasdan.
The Star Wars: Film Concert Series is produced under license by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox and Warner/Chappell Music.
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