The iconic time John Williams conducted his own ‘Olympic Fanfare’ at the 1984 LA Olympics

5 August 2024, 15:36 | Updated: 5 August 2024, 16:25

When Los Angeles wanted an epic soundtrack to their Olympic Games, they knew just who to call...

Classical music has been used to capture the Olympic spirit many times over the years – from moments of inspired symphonic comedy to uplifting vocal performances. But what is the sound of the event? That’s what organisers sought to create 40 years ago – and it still resonates today.

By the mid-1980s, movie music composer John Williams was at the height of his Hollywood fame. The previous decade had seen him compose his iconic scores to Jaws, Star Wars and Superman, and he was by then a four-time Oscar winner.

And when Los Angeles hosted the Olympics in 1984, the organising committee tapped the shoulder of Hollywood royalty. They asked him to swap the big screen for a sports stadium and write a new fanfare for the games, the Olympic Fanfare and Theme.

The great composer obliged and soon took to the podium with the New American Orchestra at the Opening Ceremony of the LA Olympics on 28 July 1984. Watch footage from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum below.

Read more: Soaked orchestra plays ‘Olympic Hymn’ in rain covers at Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony

Olympic Theme Los Angeles 1984 - John Williams

The striking work begins with the composer’s signature fanfare style, with blazing brass high in the register, snare drums and driving rhythm from the orchestra, before a flowing, golden melody emerges. Pure John Williams.

Classical music was a key part of the LA ceremony, which also featured a homage to American music with an 84-piano tribute to George Gershwin and an unforgettable performance of his Rhapsody in Blue.

In a 1984 interview with The New York Times, the composer (with trademark humility) revealed the inspiration behind the piece, and the link he felt between elite athletes and musicians.

“I’m not an avid sports fan and I have never been to an Olympics,” he said. “But from watching Olympics competition on television, I gained a feeling that I aspired to make the theme of Fanfare. A wonderful thing about the Olympics is that young athletes strain their guts to find and produce their best efforts.

“The human spirit stretching to prove itself is also typical of what musicians attempt to achieve in a symphonic effort. It is difficult to describe how I feel about these athletes and their performances without sounding pretentious, but their struggle ennobles all of us. I hope I express that in this piece,” Williams added.

When the Olympics returned to the US in 1996, Williams would re-record the piece, and cement its place in the canon of great music for sporting spectacles.

John Williams may not be a big sports fan – but in this mighty anthem, the great composer gave voice to the human excellence, endeavour and aspiration at the heart of the Olympics, with a golden result.