| "Hedwig's Theme" | |
|---|---|
| Composition by John Williams | |
| from the album Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | |
| Released | October 30, 2001 |
| Recorded | August – September 2001 |
| Studio | Air Lyndhurst & Abbey Road Studios (London) |
| Length | 5:08 |
| Label | |
| Composer(s) | John Williams |
| Audio sample | |
The theme as it was first featured in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | |
"Hedwig's Theme" is an orchestral piece composed by John Williams. It serves as the main theme for the Harry Potter film series, based on the series of popular fantasy novels of the same name by author J. K. Rowling. The theme first appears in the opening credits of The Philosopher's Stone in the "Prologue" track, a shortened version of the full five-minute theme, which is not featured entirely until the closing credits. The track is named for Harry Potter's pet owl, Hedwig.
Since being featured in The Philosopher's Stone soundtrack, the piece's main theme was further developed by Williams for The Chamber of Secrets and The Prisoner of Azkaban, and by Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat for the remaining five Harry Potter films. The theme has also been featured in the Fantastic Beasts spin-off prequel films, various video games, and Universal theme park attractions.[1] "Hedwig's Theme" has gained status as a signature theme of the Wizarding World franchise and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most iconic film themes of all time.[2][3][4]