From wind ensembles and orchestras to percussion ensembles and NeoCollage, Rick Williams is an exciting and versatile percussionist who has performed and recorded with numerous renowned ensembles. Mr. Williams recently recorded the album Manhattan Music with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and the Canadian Brass, and he was chosen to perform with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble at the upcoming 2008 International Percussion Ensemble Festival in Bjelovar, Croatia. In addition, he has appeared in a wide range of venues, from Virginia’s Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and New York’s Eastman Theatre to Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center.
As the winner of the Links, Incorporated Scholarship, Rick Williams made his Kilbourn Hall solo recital debut in 2007 in Rochester, NY. In recent years, Mr. Williams has performed with the Eastman Philharmonia, Marimba Ensemble, and Studio Orchestra, and has appeared as a featured soloist with the Eastman Percussion Ensemble. In addition, Mr. Williams has also held local TV jazz band appearances, worldwide TV appearances with the orchestra of MENC’s “World’s Largest Concert,” and recorded for an independent movie soundtrack. He was the recipient of both the “Semper Fidelis” Award for Musical Excellence and the National Arion Foundation Award. Perhaps most notoriously known for his work with NeoCollage, Rick Williams specializes in his virtuosic use of the MalletKat, an electronic percussion instrument.
Originally from Centreville, Va., Rick Williams studies percussion performance at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, under John H. Beck and music business in Eastman’s Institute for Music Leadership. In addition, he studies jazz mallets with Howard Potter, and his previous percussion instructors have included Bill Cahn, John Kilkenny and Gino Cioffi. Because of his interest in listening to, writing, and performing all styles of music, his compositions, some of which include Agent, Jungle Dance and Ms. Vodka, reflect his eclectic musical background. When he’s not on stage, Rick Williams enjoys dancing, collecting hats, watching Seinfeld reruns, and instigating Beatles-Stones debates.
And for the record, the Stones definitely win.
