John Williams Jokes Beethoven “Had Been Swimming” After Sarah Willis Plays “Symphony No. 7”

Leave it to John Williams to reframe a cornerstone of classical canon with a wink. When French horn virtuoso Sarah Willis performed Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7” mid-interview, the composer immediately heard dorsal fins circling. With impeccable timing, Williams quipped that Beethoven had been swimming all along—bridging two centuries of music with one shark-sized joke.