John Williams: Last of the Symphonists? -- International Conference

JOHN WILLIAMS: LAST OF THE SYMPHONISTS? International Conference, Université d’Évry Val-d’Essonne Paris-Saclay, December 7-9, 2022, organized by Chloé Huvet and Grégoire Tosser in collaboration with Anaïs Fléchet A tutelary figure of film music, primarily associated with spectacle and wonder, science fiction and major movie franchises, the American composer JOHN WILLIAMS will celebrate his 90th birthday on February 8, 2022. This event offers an opportunity to look back on an abundant and multifaceted career, spanning several major periods in the history of cinema, at times of significant transformations in audiovisual technologies, from Dolby Stereo and multichannel sound in 1977 to the digital transition at the turn of the years 1990-2000. Although the "seventh art" occupies a major place in his career, Williams has also composed many works for the concert stage, political sphere, and sporting events. An overview of his whole work attests to the mastery of numerous musical styles, in very diverse contexts. While major publications – mainly in the English language – have recently been devoted to the composer (Audissino 2021 ; Audissino 2018 ; Lehman 2021 ; Webster 2018 ; Moormann 2010), French research specifically dedicated to Williams has been developing for the past fifteen years (Huvet 2022 ; Tylski 2011 ; Cathé 2007 ; Guido 2006). This international conference aims to bring together scholars from different countries through multidisciplinary contributions on Williams’ music that will take stock of these recent developments while offering renewed perspectives. This scholarly event thus wishes to cover a broad spectrum relating to Williams’ work in all its richness and diversity, through a plurality of approaches, methods and objects; it is open to musicologists and musicians as well as to specialists other fields such as film and media studies, fine arts, English and American studies, literature, sociology or philosophy. Our keynotes speakers will be EMILIO AUDISSINO, Senior Lecturer in Media and Audiovisual Production at Linnæus University (Sweden), author of The Film Music of John Williams. Reviving Hollywood’s Classical Style (2021) ; and FRANK LEHMAN, Associate Professor of Music at Tufts University (USA), author of Hollywood Harmony: Musical Wonder and the Sound of Cinema (2018). Proposals including a title and a 300 to 500-word abstract, along with a short biography of the author(s) should be sent to the conference organizers, CHLOÉ HUVET (chloe.huvet@univ-evry.fr) and GRÉGOIRE TOSSER (gregoire.tosser@univ-evry.fr), no later than May 10, 2022. The conference committee will assess abstracts anonymously and give their answers in June, 2022. Abstracts and papers can be in English or in French. The duration of each presentation is 30 minutes (including audiovisual excerpts), followed by a Q&A period.