John Adams (born 1947) is an American composer and conductor whose works rank among the most performed in contemporary classical music. Starting from minimalism, he developed a richer, more expressive orchestral language over five decades - his operas Nixon in China, Doctor Atomic and Antony and Cleopatra, along with orchestral works such as Harmonielehre and Short Ride in a Fast Machine, have become modern repertoire staples. He holds the Pulitzer Prize for Music (2003), five Grammy Awards, and has served as Creative Chair of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009.
The LSO announced its 2026/27 season with multiple concerts celebrating Adams's 80th birthday, including Adams himself on the podium on 13 January 2027 performing After the Fall with Víkingur Ólafsson.
For the 2026/27 season Adams embarks on an eight-concert European tour with the London Symphony Orchestra, also returning to the Vienna Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and Cleveland Orchestra.
Adams visited Rice University's Shepherd School of Music in April 2026 to rehearse Short Ride in a Fast Machine with student musicians as part of the school's partnership with the Houston Symphony.
Adams's new piano concerto After the Fall had its world premiere with the San Francisco Symphony on 16 January 2025, performed by pianist Víkingur Ólafsson.
Nonesuch Records released the 40-disc John Adams Collected Works box set, spanning more than four decades of the composer's recordings with the label.
