On July 26 at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, Williams’ Concerto for Piano and Orchestra premiered with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andris Nelsons and written for pianist Emanuel Ax. The audience response was electric — Williams was welcomed on stage like a rockstar, clasping the hands of Ax and Nelsons as the hall erupted in cheers.
The collaboration had roots going back to 1994, when Williams and Ax first met at Tanglewood. Decades later, after reading in The New York Times that Williams might be working on a piano concerto, Ax reached out in 2022. The composer replied the very next day: “That’s great. I’m going to work on it, and I will send it to you.” Work began in 2023, with the pair meeting several times during the writing process.
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Williams admitted. “So much in the history of music, piano, keyboard, digital, fingers — anyone would be daunted.” Ax described the result as “thorny,” a world away from Williams’ lush film themes, and inspired by jazz greats Art Tatum, Bill Evans, and Oscar Peterson.
For Williams, composing at this stage of life is both a challenge and a privilege. “At this point in life, you don’t know what kind of energy you’re going to have a year or two from now. I have to live in the present, contribute what little I can, and enjoy making music… Human experience would be empty without music.”
Though it’s his first work for piano, Williams is no stranger to concertos, having written for instruments ranging from flute to tuba. This new piece will see future performances by the New York Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in early 2026 — proof that even in his nineties, Williams’ music is still finding new ways to surprise.