The stage at the iconic Hollywood Bowl has been named in honor of composer John Williams. Announced by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the dedication marks the first time in the Bowl’s 103-year history that the stage has ever been named after an artist.
The new stage signage bearing Williams’ name was unveiled at a private ceremony over the weekend, attended by longtime LA Philharmonic supporters including Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw’s Hearthland Foundation, Seth MacFarlane, and the Katie McGrath and J.J. Abrams Family Foundation.
“Without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, nor do men in red capes,” Spielberg said of the legendary composer, who has scored films such as Jaws, Star Wars, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and the first three Harry Potter movies. “There is no Force, dinosaurs do not walk the Earth. We do not wonder, we do not weep, we do not believe.”
At the ceremony, Williams expressed his gratitude for the LA Philharmonic’s “unprecedented and unequaled” generosity. “I want to thank all of the donors in this effort, who proudly support and salute the work done by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, one of the great orchestras of the world,” he said. “The uniqueness of this honor is certainly unheard of and I thank all of you.”