Robert S. Williams
Encyclopedia
Robert S. Williams is an American bassoon
ist. He has been Principal Bassoonist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
since September 1974. Prior to that appointment he was solo bassoonist with the Winnipeg Symphony, Winnipeg CBC Orchestra, Colorado Philharmonic and Tucson Symphony. He has also played summer engagements with the Minnesota Orchestra
and Boston Symphony at Tanglewood
.
In addition to his duties with the Detroit Symphony, Williams plays in the CutTime Players, the Neo-Bubonic Bassoon Quartet, the DSO Bassoon Quartet, the DSO Woodwind Quintet, the Bellingham Music Festival and the Grand Teton Music Festival
. He teaches at Wayne State University
and has been on the music faculties of the Aspen Music School and Festival, University of Michigan
, Michigan State University
, the Grand Teton Orchestra Training Institute, Claremont Music Festival and the Utah Music Festival. He has also given master classes at Tanglewood, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the University of Arizona
.
Williams can be heard on all of the Detroit Symphony recordings conducted by former Music Director Antal Doráti
on the London/Decca
label, as well as the recordings on the Chandos
label led by Neeme Järvi
.
A native of Tucson, Arizona
, he graduated with honors from the University of Arizona and did postgraduate work at the University of Southern California
. His major bassoon teachers include Wendal Jones, Leonard Sharrow
and Norman Herzberg.
Together with his wife Treva Womble (solo English hornist with the Detroit Symphony), he is the owner of Womble/Williams Double Reeds, a home business that specializes in products for the oboe and bassoon. They are authorized Fox dealers, produce bassoon cane and sell supplies for both oboe and bassoon. Williams plays on a red maple, gold-plated Fox model 660 bassoon, built in South Whitley, Indiana, in 2009.
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
ist. He has been Principal Bassoonist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its main performance center is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood...
since September 1974. Prior to that appointment he was solo bassoonist with the Winnipeg Symphony, Winnipeg CBC Orchestra, Colorado Philharmonic and Tucson Symphony. He has also played summer engagements with the Minnesota Orchestra
Minnesota Orchestra
The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Emil Oberhoffer founded the orchestra as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, and it gave its first performance on November 5 of that year. In 1968 the orchestra changed to its name to the Minnesota Orchestra...
and Boston Symphony at Tanglewood
Tanglewood
Tanglewood is an estate and music venue in Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, and has been the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home since 1937. It was the venue of the Berkshire Festival.- History...
.
In addition to his duties with the Detroit Symphony, Williams plays in the CutTime Players, the Neo-Bubonic Bassoon Quartet, the DSO Bassoon Quartet, the DSO Woodwind Quintet, the Bellingham Music Festival and the Grand Teton Music Festival
Grand Teton Music Festival
Located in Jackson Hole at the gateway to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, the Grand Teton Music Festival offers seven weeks of classical music concerts each summer. The Festival Orchestra is the centerpiece of Grand Teton Music Festival's programming...
. He teaches at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
and has been on the music faculties of the Aspen Music School and Festival, University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
, the Grand Teton Orchestra Training Institute, Claremont Music Festival and the Utah Music Festival. He has also given master classes at Tanglewood, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
.
Williams can be heard on all of the Detroit Symphony recordings conducted by former Music Director Antal Doráti
Antal Doráti
Antal Doráti, KBE was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1947.-Biography:...
on the London/Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
label, as well as the recordings on the Chandos
Chandos Records
Chandos Records is an independent classical music recording company based in Colchester, Essex, in the United Kingdom, founded in 1979 by Brian Couzens.- Background :...
label led by Neeme Järvi
Neeme Järvi
Neeme Järvi is an Estonian-born conductor.-Early life:Järvi studied music first in Tallinn, and later in Leningrad at the Leningrad Conservatory under Yevgeny Mravinsky, and Nikolai Rabinovich, among others...
.
A native of Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, he graduated with honors from the University of Arizona and did postgraduate work at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. His major bassoon teachers include Wendal Jones, Leonard Sharrow
Leonard Sharrow
Leonard Sharrow , was one of the foremost American bassoonists of the 20th Century. Born in New York City, he joined the NBC Symphony Orchestra when it was first organized, eventually becoming principal bassoonist ; he also served in the U.S. Army in World War II...
and Norman Herzberg.
Together with his wife Treva Womble (solo English hornist with the Detroit Symphony), he is the owner of Womble/Williams Double Reeds, a home business that specializes in products for the oboe and bassoon. They are authorized Fox dealers, produce bassoon cane and sell supplies for both oboe and bassoon. Williams plays on a red maple, gold-plated Fox model 660 bassoon, built in South Whitley, Indiana, in 2009.