Evan Jay Williams’s musical experiences span working with Pulitzer Prize-winning composers, conducting community bands at fireworks concerts, and a great deal in-between. He has enjoyed working with musicians of all ages, including playing in ensembles open to both amateurs and professionals, teaching composition to middle-school students, and music history to college students. He first became interested in arts service while interning with Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion (NY) and the Monadnock Music Festival (NH) as an undergraduate. He later worked for the Tioga County Council on The Arts (NY); Pittsburgh Symphony and Opera; and the Peabody Conservatory.
As a composer, Evan has been recognized by The American Prizes for both his wind ensemble and orchestral music, and Carnegie Mellon University with its annual award for achievement in composition. His music has been performed across the U.S., in Italy and Spain, and even sent to The Moon as part of the Moon Ark Project. As a writer on music, he has presented his research at the International Conference on Music and Minimalism.
Evan was born and raised in upstate New York, where his first musical instruction came through his school band program. He earned undergraduate degrees in music from the Finger Lakes Community College and Franklin Pierce University, and graduate degrees in composition from Carnegie Mellon and Johns Hopkins Universities. His major teachers were Du Yun, Michael Hersch, Leonardo Balada, and Nancy Galbraith. He was also fortunate to study privately and at several festivals, including Rocky Ridge back in 2012.