The American composer John Williams has written dozens of classic film scores, providing the music you hear when ET calls home, or Indiana Jones runs for his life, inches ahead of that huge boulder that threatens to burst out of the movie screen and land right in our laps. Writing for the movies means working fast AND working hard. The music has to meet firm production deadlines and fit specific cinematic requests.

Despite the frantic pace, Williams somehow managed to find the time to lead the Boston Pops orchestra for many years, and even compose a substantial body of work for the concert hall as well as for the silver screen.

On today’s date in 1981, Leonard Slatkin conducted the St. Louis Symphony in the premiere performance of this Violin Concerto by John Williams. Williams began work on this concerto in 1974, and completed it in 1976, dedicating it to the memory of his late wife, an actress and singer.

Considering the quantity and quality of modern violin concertos by master composers like Walton, Bartok and Stravinsky, says Williams, it was a bit daunting to tackle one himself, but he couldn’t resist the challenge... and then he went on to write concertos for flute, tuba, clarinet, bassoon, cello, trumpet and horn!

When does this guy find time to sleep?