Iconic ‘Star Wars’ Composer, 93, Premieres Brand-New Music From His Wheelchair in Emotional Video originally appeared on Parade.
Over the course of his legendary career, John Williams has composed the scores for over 100 films, from Star Wars to Jaws to E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to the first three Harry Potter movies, just to name a few — but he still managed to reach an all-new musical milestone recently.
In a video shared to TikTok this week, a wheelchair-bound Williams, 93, received an enthusiastic round of applause after premiering his first-ever piano concerto. As the caption from Classic FM explained, while Williams has a “catalogue of classical works,” he said he “always found the idea of writing a piano concerto too daunting” but changed his mind when he turned 90.
“Despite recent health challenges, the maestro himself was there to witness the premiere,” the caption read.
Commenters were understandably moved by the emotional clip.
“It’s going to be a sad day when he leaves us. The maestro,” one person wrote, with another agreeing, “Lord, don’t you dare take maestro from us yet. Just let him give us one more masterpiece of music first. Don’t take him yet.”
“That man is an absolute wizard. The beauty he creates puts him in the pantheon of greatness alongside Handel, Bach and Mozart,” declared someone else.
In a 2024 interview with Symphony.org, Williams opened up about the decision to start writing the piano concerto.
“At this point in life, you don’t know what kind of energy you’re going to have a year or two from now,” he explained. “I have to live in the present, contribute what little I can, and enjoy making music, which is such an important part of human life.”
“Human experience would be empty without music, even though we’re not conscious of our need for it and our reliance on it,” Williams continued, adding, “I have the greatest set of opportunities anyone could have to look forward to. I have to write every day for an hour or two at least, to feel like my breathing is right and things are balanced in life. What a gift to be able to have that joy in music.”
Related: ‘Star Wars’ Alum Mark Hamill Shares Raw ‘Personal Update’ Amid ‘Most Horrific Fire’
Iconic ‘Star Wars’ Composer, 93, Premieres Brand-New Music From His Wheelchair in Emotional Video first appeared on Parade on Aug 8, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
