In his highly successful book, Jurassic Park, author Michael Crichton enabled us to imagine what the return of the great vertebrates of 150 million years ago might be like. In his thrilling 1993 film adaptation, Steven Spielberg brought these fascinating and terrifying creatures to life, and in so doing captivated movie audiences around the world. 

I must say that I greatly enjoyed the challenge of trying to tell the film’s story musically. And while we can luxuriate this evening in the magnificent sound produced by the National Symphony Orchestra as they perform the entire score live to the picture, it’s nevertheless tempting to imagine what the trumpeting of these great beasts of the distant past might have been like.

I know I speak for everyone connected with the making of Jurassic Park in saying that we’re greatly honored by this event… and I hope that tonight’s audience will have some measure of the joy we experienced while making the film more than twenty years ago.

John Williams