How to Meet John Williams

[accustiver 0]

I am wandering if anyone out there knows how to go about arranging to meet John Williams privately, like back stage after a concert or beforehand or something. I've read a few articles from people that said they spoke to his agent through the phone and they set something up, but I haven't been able to find out who his agent is and what their phone number is. If anyone out there could provide me with this info, or basically anyway of going about meeting him, I would greatly appreciate it. I've been to a couple of his concerts now and after each one, I wait in a line to meet him and unfortunately he doesn't stick around to greet anyone. I will be at 3 of his concerts this year (Philly, Tanglewood Film Night, Tanglewood on Parade) and I would so love to finally meet him and get a signature on one of his albums, and perhaps even get a picture with him. Again, any help here would be greatly appreciated. You can post here or send me an email at cbs148@psu.edu Thanks!!!

Clayton

[MrScratch 294]

I've met Williams twice.

The first time was in 1996, I attended a regular Boston Pops concert (he conducted none of his own music). During intermission I inquired with some of the people at the Pops about how to meet him. The stage manager told me to come back after the concert and it might be arranged. When I came back I was the only one wanting to see him. They said he wouldn't mind meeting me but I couldn't take any pictures. (I have yet to understand why not, but...) It was brief, I told him I really enjoyed his music. He thanked me, asked where I was from, thanked me again for travelling all the way up from Baltimore to see him. It was very brief, but I got my autograph. He signed my disc 4 of the Star Wars Anthology in gold-ink pen (which I brought), very nice looking autograph.

The next time was May of 1999 in Boston again. I attended another Boston Pops concert, the first public performance of Episode I music. He performed Duel of the Fates (with chorus), Flag Parade and the Star Wars Main Title. Needless to say, there were more JW fans at this concert than the last and there were lots of people there after the show waiting for autographs. This time, I guess because of so many people, he took pictures. He was nice to everyone, talked with everyone and thanked them for coming to the show. This time he signed my Episode 1 CD and I got him to sign my Schindlers List CD booklet (earlier in the evening I got Itzahk Perlman to sign it too!! He made a surprise appearance at the concert!).

I'm going to the Phillie concert and I'm wondering if he'll sign autographs after the show because I'm assuming there will be more JW fans than at the previous two concerts of his I went to. But, one positive thing, I saw Brian Wilson at this same venue and he signed autographs (I got him to sign my Pet Sounds CD) and he is a bigger pop icon than Williams (not in my mind, but you know...).

I'd have to say that the best bet to meet JW is not at one of his movie music concerts, because those are the concerts that his fans attend. If you can make your way to Boston and just see a regular concert of classical and pop standards you have a greater chance of a more "intimate" meeting with him instead of being herded like cattle in front of him and only getting a couple sentances out.

Both times I met JW I would stare at his head... I would just think... this is where all of that music came from, all 150+ CDs I have of his, it all came from HERE!

I can't wait until July 15th!!!

[JCM 1]

Ok, well that was frustrating...I just wrote a huge reply to this topic...only to have it Invalid Session, and lose it all....

so here we go again...

I've met Williams twice. I've also had a few interesting experiences at the Shed at Tanglewood. All of which I will now recount for you, in the hopes they will lead you to meeting Williams!

Tanglewood:

At the Shed, if you go around to the RIGHT SIDE, there is a ramp, and stairs up to a door that leads back stage. There, at the end of concerts is where there will be an employee telling you whether or not any of the conductors are recieving people. Every time I have gone, they have not been. And usually, they have told us that the conuctors have all left already. But this is where you go for the "official" way.

Now the interesting stories from each of the 3 times I went:

1 - around that area, on the left side of the door that leads back stage are windows covered with tall blinds. If you can sneak a peek between the cracks, this room is where the conductors (or at least one of them) go before and between the performances. The first time I went, I peeked, and saw Williams sitting at a desk, facing me, not more than 4 feet from where I was standing. He was looking down at something...maybe reviewing a score for the second half of the concert, I'm not sure...but it made a very interesting picture through the crack in the blinds

2 - the second time I went, I was waiting in line, hoping Williams would be recieving people (nope) and who walks out to watch the end-of-concert fireworks but Seji Ozawa! He was just standing out on the lawn looking up at the display...and everyone else was watching the fireworks too...so no one noticed him there but me! Well I couldn't let this opportunity go to waste...so I walked up to him, thanked him for an amazing concert (he had conducted the 1812 Overture), he thanked me and said he was glad I enjoyed it, and shook my hand. So thought no Williams that night, I did get to meet Ozawa! (Who was something like 5 foot 2 ) So always keep your eyes open if you are over there!!

3 - Once again, the employee told us Williams wasn't recieving people, and that in fact he had already left. This was the third time I had waited, and we were all getting a little sick of this response...so we snuck around the bushes to the very back of the Shed. It is a parking lot, with a loading dock to the stage, and a large stage door. We were waiting there, just hoping someone, maybe Keith Lockhart would come out and we could at least meet them. Many of the BSO and BPO musicians were leaving, and then suddenly, out comes Williams! So we (along with only about 4 other people who managed to get back there) walked over to him, and as always he was very gracious, and took time to talk to all of us, take pictures, and sign autographs. He probably was there with the 8 of us for about 5 or 6 minutes (which felt like seconds ) I got to tell him how much his music had inspired me, and how it was a large factor in me going to college to pursue music. He thanked me, and asked where I was going, and said a few other things, which are all kind of a blur now and then got into his car, and was driven away.

So that's the scoop on Tanglewood. Try around to the Right, but don't believe the employee if he says they left. Try to go around to the very back parking lot and wait there...as long as there isn't some security guy giving you a hard time, you should be able to wait to talk to anyone. We almost got to talk to Lockhart too, but he got to his car just before we could get over to him.

Next time I met Williams was at Symphony Hall in Boston. It was after the second night of his 70th Birthday concerts. We went around to the stage door which is on the right side of Symphony hall, on a cross street. It's the little door with a small red awning over it. We waited there for about 20 minutes, and after all the musicians had left, Williams came out, and though his driver was tryin to get him into his car, he refused to leave until he had signed autographs and taken pictures for all of the 20 or so people who were waiting there for him. Once again he was extremely friendly. I was there with some of my Kappa Kappa Psi brothers (which Williams is also an Honorary Brother of) so we told him, and he asked us which chapter we were from, and then took a picture with all the brothers. So that was really cool. Then he got into his car and left. Black Lincoln. License plate "BSO 21" if you see that one on the highway, wave It might just be a car owned by the orchestra, but it was the same one he left in at the concert there 2 nights later.

So those have been my experiences so far...got a few great pictures, and autographed program from the Tanglewood concert, and an autographed copy of the Greatest Hits CD.

I am a composition student in the Philadelphia area, and am involved in something called American Composers Forum. The Philadelphia Chapter has a program with the Philly Orchestra called "composer - to - composer" where we go to a rehearsal for 2 or 3 hours, and then go to the green room in the Kimmel Center and have a discussion with the composer the orchestra is currently working with for about an hour. When I saw Williams was conducting at the Mann Center, I contacted the head of the ACF, and she talked to the artistic administrator for the Philly Orchestra, and he thought it would be a great idea to have a composer - to - composer talk with Williams, but that he didn't have a lot of time at the concert in July. So he said he was sure Williams would do it when he had more time, so he said he'd probably be able to set it up for the next time Williams comes to do a concert at Verizon Hall sometime in the next year. So hopefully I'll have a very interesting post about that for you all sometime in the next year!!!

So that's all the help I can give. I think the the concerts you said you are going to, if you don't mind being a little shady, and running around to the parking lot...you should have no prolem meeting the Maestro.

It's kinda humbling the first time you meet him, and shake his hand to think "I just shook the hand that wrote on a little piece of paper the notes to some of the most famous themes ever!!!"

Best of luck!! Let us all know how it comes out!!

-JCM

PS - Williams usually has a black sharpee marker with him for autographs (though it's good to bring your own in case) but if you want something in gold, or silver, you'd better bring your own.

[Trumpeteer 302]

All good stories!

Jeff -- excited about meeting The Man in London in 2005

[MrScratch 294]

Ok, well that was frustrating...I just wrote a huge reply to this topic...only to have it Invalid Session, and lose it all....

Always always always cut and then paste your message before you send it. That way, if you do get an "invalid session" all you have to do is paste the message back into a new form. Unless my message is two sentances or less, I always do this.

I forgot to mention in my account from before... in my 1996 encounter with Williams, while I was waiting for JW Keith Lockhart strolls by. And I'm like, "Hey, you're Keith Lockhart..." and he said something like, "Thats right, are you hear to see me?" and I said something like "No, I'm here to meet John Williams." (And I probably sounded really rude ) He said, "Well, he's in there." And I was like, "Its nice to meet you" (At this point feeling like an asshole!) Who knew Lockhart would be wandering around backstage at a Williams-conducted program!

[JCM 1]

Hahah...that's great!! Well it's cool you met him. He's definetly on my list of people I'd love to meet.

And I've learned my lesson about pasting my messages!

-JCM

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Awesome stories, guys!

I met Williams last year at Blossom in Cleveland, but this was about three hours before the concert. We got there early for parking, and the orchestra and Williams were rehearsing the encore pieces (Raiders and Mission Theme). My dad, brother, and I went down to the stage (Blossom is large covered pavilion outside) to watch more closely. There were a few other people down there, also watching in awe, and after the rehearsal ended, he saw a guy standing there waiting for him and sat down on a chair at the edge of the stage to receive people. We quickly got in line, which was cut off by a worker right after my brother (thank God!). I handed him my Greatest Hits cover, I think he said something like "Would you like me to sign this?" and all I could stammer was "Thank you very much!" I reached up for my marker and he shook my hand before giving it back to me. There was no time for anything else since there was a line, and he seemed in a bit of a hurry to get backstage. You can read more and see pics here. So if the concert is outside, I would advise you to get there early in case he's there rehearsing. I really hope you're able to meet him, it would be a great experience!

Ray Barnsbury

[MrScratch 294]

Me and John Williams, May 26th 1999:

http://userpages.umbc.edu/~jthoma4/williams/

[Eplicon 53]

It probably takes a little luck or VIP treatment or to have somebody in the know. Alas, I didn't qualify for any of those options.

Neil and I tried to get his autograph on two different nights for that DC concert from January and both times he was a no-show. Both instances a security guard insisted that "He ain't signing no autographs!" while everyone was waiting outside the stage entrance.

In fact, Williams didn't even seem like in autographing mood at all even if you were standing right in front of him!

[MSM 126]

Very very nice stories...

I'm from the Netherlands and planning a trip to the States to meet Williams. I happen to attend L.A. in august but I guess Williams won't be there. Meeting the maestro is one of my biggest wishes and maybe I'd better hurry a little bit...

Trumpeteer! Are you sure JW will be in London in 2005!? It's closer to where I live...

MSM

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I've got the same problem. I'm 15 and I live in Holland. Fat chance I'll be meeting the maestro any time soon.

- Marc, at school.

Visitors/"Bye"/End Titles: The Special Edition from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

[Rogue_Leader 2]

I am gonna try to meet JW when he plays New York next year.

[CruciformSword 2]

i'm sad to say i've never seen him, and there's a good chance i may never.

-jason

[Lurker 5]

Oh my god!!!!! Jason, is that really you????? Welcome back!!!!!

And why will you "never" see Williams? Your post is bittersweet. Nice to see you back, but man, what a downer. Is everything okay?

Neil

[Justin 2]

Nice to see you Jason. Stick around dude.

Justin -Who once thought that he would never see JW.

[Guest]

I'm not big on hero worship, so I wouldn't really want him to autograph a CD. A picture with him would be nice, but it would just be from a 5-minute meeting at the back of some concert. No...I would want to shadow the man for at least a year and just see what makes him tick. Oh--the only thing I'd get him to autograph would be a contract for him to score my first movie (or any movie that I'm making and would give me the right to attend the scoring sessions). The only picture I'd want to have taken with him would be like the one of him and Spielberg on the back of the A.I. jewel case.

Yeah...I'd rather not meet him at all and have to speculate about what inspires him to write and the kind of insights he has on scoring, working with directors/producers, etc. rather than just some brief meeting.

Not that I don't envy those of you who have met him. I just don't think that's enough time to spend with him. So call me Roy Neary for not letting myself be hauled off by those Army nuts (which you all know as security guards). Meeting him, for me, would have to be like Close Encounters. The only way I'm leaving is on the space--no, Williams. Whether I'm working for him as a biographer/page or he's working for me. It's all good.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

I'm going to echo Neil and Justin and say welcome back, Jason. I hope you're able to post at least a little more frequently now.

Ray Barnsbury

[quaver 0]

I feel so unlucky. I've never had a chance to meet JW, because

a) I live 3,000 miles away from him

and

B) My parents won't let me go to the states on my own.

I'm trying to drag my Dad with me to Chicago for the Nov/Dec concerts that he's doing, but it's looking as though I'll have to wait until he holds one at this side of the Atlantic.

I think he'll be in London in almost 2 years time, so I'd say I'll have to wait until then! I must congratulate those of you who have been lucky enough to meet him, because I don't see it happening to me anytime soon.

[Ren 75]

hey jason, nice to see you!