A Close Encounter with the Music of John Williams

The Nashville Symphony is bringing the music of John Williams to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Friday, October 9, at 7:30 PM. It's part of a two-night run, with the same program also playing on Thursday, October 8, at 7:30 PM. The evening is titled A Close Encounter with the Music of John Williams, and while the title might make you think the composer is showing up, he isn't — Williams himself does not appear as a guest.

Instead, the night is built around Richard Kaufman, who takes on double duty: he'll be on violin and conducting the symphony. The program pulls from the orchestral scores of Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Schindler's List, and Hook. Joining him on stage are soloists Kelly Hall Tompkins and Chandler Currier.

What sets this apart from a standard pops concert is the storytelling. Kaufman has spent decades working alongside Williams as a violinist and conductor, and he'll be sharing anecdotes and memories from that time between the pieces. The evening also pays tribute to Williams's years as Music Director of the Boston Pops, a period when his music reached millions and became the soundtrack of a generation.

So you get the big film scores you know, paired with a first-hand account of how they came to be. It's a good way to hear the music and get some context on the man behind it at the same time. The concert runs at 7:30 PM on both nights at the Schermerhorn.