Josh Imhof | staff writer

Ever since its debut soaring over the opening credits in 1976, the “Star Wars” theme song has become one of the most recognizable compositions in modern musical history.

John Williams’ fanfare rings through theme parks, living rooms and birthday parties all over the world. You can even hear it by squeezing your favorite character’s foot at the local toy store.

Now, fans have the chance to hear it live by purchasing tickets for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) this weekend.

“Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert” is the latest of their live-with-film shows. The concert will open its doors on Friday evening, with two other performances scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

Previously, the PSO has accompanied “Home Alone,” “Harry Potter” and other entries in the “Star Wars” saga. Duquesne sophomore Rachel Cruz performed as part of the choir alongside “Home Alone.”

“I played at Carnegie Hall once, but I was playing viola,” she said. “I haven’t played alongside a film like that before, so that was a new experience.”

Cruz was one of 20 Duquesne students selected to participate in the performance during the second half of the film, which was also composed by Williams.

“We were closest to the percussionists. It was so fascinating to watch all of them,” she said. “They knew all their beats.”

These musicians practice meticulously to learn their parts; however, getting all of them to sync with a film is no easy task. This responsibility falls on the conductor, who must develop their own system for cuing the orchestra.

PSO conductor Jacob Joyce uses a combination of techniques he has learned over his career, but the most important thing to make performances go smoothly is repetition.

“It’s a lot of practice with the score open to learn exactly what’s coming, how all of the many tempo changes work and how to execute them as a conductor,” he said. “It’s a very challenging process.”

Joyce has conducted other orchestras across the United States and said that each one has its own unique sound and timing, something he must adapt to during each performance while still hitting the marks he needs to.

One of these marks is the iconic moment when Luke Skywalker blows up the Death Star. As pieces of the spaceship careen across the galaxy, the orchestra dramatically cuts out to allow the sound of the explosion to rumble through the air. Then the music swells into a triumphant movement as the rebels celebrate their victory over the empire.

Joyce also relies on the knowledge of his players, which for some, goes all the way back to their childhoods.

“John Williams’ scores are definitely a part of my origin story,” said second trombonist Jim Nova.

Nova has been playing with PSO since the Fall of 2009. For the concert, he will be playing part three which is characterized by its “low and meaty” sound.

As a kid, he remembers seeing “The Empire Strikes Back” for the first time with his father and being excited by the music. Nova’s father made him start an instrument when he was nine and when he had to pick, his decision was easy.

The “Star Wars” saga helped him decide on the trombone, and he blew through his Yamaha Student Model until he turned 15 and upgraded to a professional level instrument. This opened the door for him to cross paths with the man who inspired him to start playing all those years ago.

Throughout his career, Nova has played over 100 concerts with Williams and has met him on multiple occasions, including one time with the PSO. He has even released an album, “A Fall from Light to Dark,” featuring trombone-only compositions of popular “Star Wars” songs.

“He couldn’t have been nicer. Playing for him in general is like playing for your favorite uncle or grandparent,” he said. “He’s just very warm and inviting.”

“Playing it live is super demanding in terms of playing all that in one shot. It’s tiring,” he said, “but it’s a ton of fun.”