End of an era: John Williams neither appearing nor conducting the Hollywood Bowl in 2025

[jwfan944 0]

The 2025 Hollywood Bowl schedule has been announced and the 3 John Williams nights are billed as:

 

Maestro of the Movies: Celebrating the Music of John Williams

 

Artists:

Los Angeles Philharmonic
David Newman, conductor

 

https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/3645/2025-08-22/maestro-of-the-movies-celebrating-the-music-of-john-williams

https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/3646/2025-08-23/maestro-of-the-movies-celebrating-the-music-of-john-williams

https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/3554/2025-08-24/maestro-of-the-movies-celebrating-the-music-of-john-williams

 

This is the same program they shifted to last year after John Williams canceled. Sadly, it appears that the summer tradition of John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl has ended

 

The performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in April could very well be the last time to catch John Williams in Los Angeles...

[Andrej 59]

New Hollywood Bowl Summer season is up with Maestro of the Movies concert scheduled, but unfortunately it seems without John conducting this year

 

https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/3646/2025-08-23/maestro-of-the-movies-celebrating-the-music-of-john-williams

 

[Thor 9,323]

Sad if that's the case, but it had to happen at some point.

 

Glad I got to see him there in 2012, although it was under bad circumstances.

[BB-8 5,549]

Could this be precautionary and he may still appear as "special guest"?

 

In any case, this does not shed the best kind of light on the likelihood of JW reappearing in Berlin.

[Damien F 1,939]

Logically, if he cannot guarantee an appearance at a concert in his home city, conducting a concert in a different continent seems very much in doubt.

[Edmilson 10,957]

Oh gosh I almost had a heart attack when I started reading the name of the thread. 

[Marian Schedenig 10,816]

Perhaps he means to stay in Berlin and not return to the US…

[BB-8 5,549]

 

25 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

Perhaps he means to stay in Berlin and not return to the US…

Perhaps he is cherry picking the finest orchestras and concert halls? Fed up of the shed and the bowl?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,269]

He should come to the Concertgebouw then rather than Berlin.

[Davis 3,953]

38 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

Perhaps he means to stay in Berlin and not return to the US…

[GerateWohl 6,185]

We maybe should get used to the thought, that Williams might spend the last 10 years or so of his life rather gardening, cooking, spending time with friends and family than travelling the world, conducting concerts or writing soundtracks.

I am afraid, the man is slowly getting old. 

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,269]

He's 93! Every new composition, every new concert we get from him is a bonus.

 

We shouldn't expect anything anymore and rejoice with whatever we do get.

[Tom 6,032]

2 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Oh gosh I almost had a heart attack when I started reading the name of the thread. 

Hopefully Williams doesn't read it, then.  

[BB-8 5,549]

Nor that it becomes the title of his first-ever biography. 

[Mr. Hooper 6,814]

7 hours ago, Damien F said:

Logically, if he cannot guarantee an appearance at a concert in his home city, conducting a concert in a different continent seems very much in doubt.

I'm thinking that he's just chosen to not make any new commitments (and may show up unexpectedly, as BB-8 said). And, if Berlin was just a remote possibility, I think he would've cancelled by now—so I remain hopeful.

 

The situation should be clearer after the Miami concert, and we find out exactly what "Guest Artist" means.

[Tom 6,032]

It should be obvious that he intends to go to Berlin.  So, there are only two possibilities: one, he is of sound mind and knows that it is realistic to go, or two, he is not of sound mind and doesn't realize that it is not realistic.  By all accounts, the second disjunct is false.  To Berlin it is, unless he has an unexpected setback (or planes just start crashing left and right, and air travel ceases to be possible--but let's not consider such crazy scenarios).  

[Bayesian 1,560]

By all accounts, conducting the Berlin Phil was a high point of his career—and being conducted by JW was a highlight of the BP musicians’ careers. If I were him, I would want to end my conducting days leading the world’s most esteemed orchestra, whose members would surely play their hearts (and lungs and lips and limbs) out for him one last time. It would be a note-perfect send-off (pun definitely intended).

 

Beyond Berlin, I could see how the cost-benefit analysis of additional concerts simply wouldn’t sway in benefit’s favor. Such a decision doesn’t remotely necessitate that he doesn’t continue to compose, of course. 

[crumbs 15,757]

To play devil's advocate, maybe he's blocked out his schedule later this year because he's scoring Spielberg's new film at the same time?

 

With production starting next month, August would be right in the middle of scoring. Williams might be under doctor's orders not to stretch himself too thin.

[Davis 3,953]

How many years has he been doing the Bowl? 30? 40? It’s in his hometown. He did it every year. His buddy Dudamel is the artistic director of the LA Phil. I can’t imagine him doing not one but three concerts on the other side of the world, but not doing his yearly Hollywood Bowl, and not even attending it from the neighbourhood to say hello. It’s highly unlikely. Williams has been doing both the Bowl and Tanglewood many years now, it’s part of his yearly routine, his friends and colleagues, and of course the audience counts on his appearance at these events. It would be very strange if he skipped the Bowl and did Berlin. 
Oh and the LA Phil and the BSO play their hearts and lungs and lips and limbs out for him every single time too and Williams knows it.

[BB-8 5,549]

1 hour ago, crumbs said:

To play devil's advocate, maybe he's blocked out his schedule later this year because he's scoring Spielberg's new film at the same time?

 

With production starting next month, August would be right in the middle of scoring. Williams might be under doctor's orders not to stretch himself too thin.

And before that, he was busy with Jurassic World Rebirth, resulting in a series of concert cancellations in America and Vienna.

[Maurizio 6,310]

.

[Davis 3,953]

25 minutes ago, TownerFan said:

we can definitely cut him some slack if he has decided to slow down his conducting activities at 93.

Exactly. That's why I believe that he shouldn't travel to Berlin or overseas anymore and instead concentrate on his health and family. 

[BB-8 5,549]

But if he needs music like oxygen he should better just carry on like Blomstedt.

[Amer 2,642]

I also believe the Berlin Concert will go ahead but without him. 

 

I believe his health takes precedence and we should all respect that. 

[Davis 3,953]

@BB-8 Absolutely. Let him do whatever makes him the happiest. But this recent health issue should be a warning for him that his age has finally caught up with him and taking unnecessary risks is simply, well, unnecessary. 

Let's be realistic:

- If he wants to keep conducting, he can do it in his hometown at the best venues in the world a short carride from his home. 

- If he wants to compose, he can do it in his home. 

He can do everything without risking his health by travelling abroad many hours, having jet lag and so on. 

He is 93 years old. We can't even comprehend what it means being that old physically. Frankly, it was a miracle that he was able to travel and conduct for so long. A true miracle. 

I think that risking his health just to do something he has already done, is unnecessary. Now if he were to conduct the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra or the Budapest Festival Orchestra for the first time, that would be slightly different, but only very slightly. Even then I would strongly suggest for him not to do it, as much as I would freak out if he came to Budapest. But more than anything, I want John Williams to live as long as possible, and as healthy as possible. 

 

In the end, it will come down to three things:

1. What he wants,

2. What his wife wants,

3. What his doctors say. 

[Richard P 4,936]

A 93 year old is beyond entitled to spend his time with family and more relaxing pastimes. Any extra music or appearances we get are a bonus at this point - it's an astonishing age at which to even still be fully mobile and cognitive.

 

I've no doubt he still composes, as that's a home-based thing.

[Davis 3,953]

.

[BB-8 5,549]

17 hours ago, Davis said:

Deal!

 

17 hours ago, Marian Schedenig said:

Perhaps he means to stay in Berlin and not return to the US…

...with the US receiving Hans Zimmer in exchange.

[Davis 3,953]

Germany is getting the better end of the deal. 

1 hour ago, BB-8 said:

.with the US receiving Hans Zimmer in exchange.

 

[Naïve Old Fart 12,141]

21 hours ago, #SnowyVernalSpringsEternal said:

He's 93! Every new composition, every new concert we get from him is a bonus.

 

We shouldn't expect anything anymore and rejoice with whatever we do get.

Agreed.

Give the po' man a break.

[Adrian 14]

 

PAINS ME that you don't value the musicians who play in the orchestra, when they are the true artists... I'm not musician but without them, a show couldn't happen. The show could happen without a conductor, but with the conductor alone without the rest of the musicians, there wouldn't be a show.

 

Not only that, you can see better performances than the originals in some great orchestras like Vienna Phillarmonic with Williams. John Williams recognized that Imperial March was the best performance ever with Vienna Phillarmonic. I'm sure he knows theres another pieces with probably the best performances ever by Vienna Phillarmonic.

 

The next concert with John Williams is Berlin Phillarmonic, a top orchestra with the best performance ever of Olymnpic Fanfare & Theme for example...

 

People aren't aware of what the Berlin Philharmonic is, the level of perfection in nuance and timing is hardly replicable anywhere else in the world.

 

I'm sure John Williams would feel bad reading people here saying they don't want to go see the Berlin Philharmonic if John Williams wasn't there...

 

I think it's more important to have empathy for the people who want to attend this CONCERT (no simply a person conducting). I mean, there are people who want to feel this CONCERT, I mean they want to see Williams like everyone but they want to attend the concert even if John Williams finally isn't there...

 

I know it's extremely magical and special for everyone to have John Williams, because he's the composer. But not wanting to go to a show because he's not there is devaluing the rest of the musicians who are making the show possible... Imagine going to see a Dua Lipa show and not wanting to go if the composers or choreographers aren't there... 

 

(Sorry if my english is bad)

 

 

NOTE: this is just my opinion and I don't want to offend anyone... I'm simply feeling bad for the orchestras as I said...

 

[BB-8 5,549]

[bollemanneke 4,129]

Yeah okay.

[Thor 9,323]

Careful, BB-8. I was corrected for playing my gorgeous erotica soundtracks with sensous covers, so you're next!

[Mr. Hooper 6,814]

Talk about objectifying women—he turned her into a cello.

[Davis 3,953]

And she’s playing the oboe. 

[mrbellamy 7,613]

Nah that guy's a contrabass recorder for sure

 

[BB-8 5,549]

4 hours ago, Thor said:

Careful, BB-8. I was corrected for playing my gorgeous erotica soundtracks with sensous covers, so you're next!

Fixed.

[Andy 6,412]

8 hours ago, Thor said:

Careful, BB-8. I was corrected for playing my gorgeous erotica soundtracks with sensous covers, so you're next!

You’re gonna have to see a doctor about that case of Bilitis. 

[NewBlueEyes 99]

I hope we'll get a program of anything golden age-related and themes and cues from the God of Film Music himself.

[King Mark 3,861]

it's a bit depressing opening up the MB with all these threads of "John Williams no longer doing anything"

[Xander Harris 8,445]

Time to reboot it to Michael Giacchino or Hans Zimmer Fan.

[Tom 6,032]

56 minutes ago, King Mark said:

it's a bit depressing opening up the MB with all these threads of "John Williams no longer doing anything"

He's now like the rest of us.  

[Mr. Hooper 6,814]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

He's now like the rest of us.  

Now that is depressing. lol

[Once 974]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

He's now like the rest of us.  

Making breakdowns of his recording sessions in Google Sheets.

[Xander Harris 8,445]

13 hours ago, Tom said:

He's now like the rest of us.  

You can call them ghosts if you like, or as I prefer, the Living Impaired. The bottom line is, they need help sometimes, just like the rest of us.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,269]

15 hours ago, King Mark said:

it's a bit depressing opening up the MB with all these threads of "John Williams no longer doing anything"

 

I don't get it. He's done enough. 93 years old now.

 

This was always gonna happen.

[Tom 6,032]

2 hours ago, #SnowyVernalSpringsEternal said:

 

I don't get it. He's done enough. 93 years old now.

 

This was always gonna happen.

And taxes!  

[Mr. Hooper 6,814]

38 minutes ago, Tom said:

And taxes!  

And 'Friends' reruns.

[Tom 6,032]

6 hours ago, Mr. Hooper said:

And 'Friends' reruns.

I would prefer death.