GREGORY K. WILLIAMS
VIOLA FACULTY

Gregory K. Williams is a multifaceted musician, appearing regularly as a violist, violinist, conductor, and teaching artist. He is the Principal Violist of Parlando and Assistant Principal Violist of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic. He is a member of the Golden Williams Duo, a viola-cello duo committed to performing music written by a diverse array of composers. He has performed with the American Symphony Orchestra, American Ballet Theatre, Albany Symphony, New Haven Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Binghamton Philharmonic, The Orchestra Now, the Syracuse Symphony, and the Aspen Music Festival. He has subbed on Broadway for Sweeney Todd and Phantom of the Opera. He was also the founding violist of Rhymes With Opera, performed as a core member of the Red Door Chamber Players, and was the Principal Violist of the Berkshire Opera Festival, and was the Assistant Principal Violist of the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra. His performances include solo recitals in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and throughout the United States. He has also appeared with popular artists such as The Who, Peter Cetera, Jane Birkin, Iggy Pop, and the Three Irish Tenors. He recently recorded on the concept album for the new musical Goodbye New York, which was released in 2022 at Feinstein’s 54Below. His debut solo album, Shadows: the Unaccompanied Viola Sonatas of Günter Raphael, was released on February 2, 2024 by Affetto Records, a subsidiary of Naxos.

Dr. Williams is the founder of Aaron Copland School of Music Viola Day, and has been on the viola faculty of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College, CUNY since 2012, and is Adjunct Professor of Strings at Wagner College. He served as a Guest Artist and Visiting Assistant Professor of Viola at the Eastman School of Music for the 2022-23 school year, and was the Visiting Lecturer of Viola at the University of Tennessee Knoxville for the Fall term in 2023. He has served on the viola faculty at NYU SummerStrings, and has taught viola and chamber music at the National Music Festival in Chestertown, MD, the Mountain Springs Chamber Music Festival in Draper, Utah. He maintains a private viola studio for advanced students in the New York metropolitan area.

As a conductor and orchestral coach, Dr. Williams has conducted and coached several student ensembles, including the Chamber Ensemble at Wagner College, the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra on Long Island, and the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Southampton String Festival, the LIU-Post Summer Music Festival, and the Queens College String Ensemble. He has been a guest conductor for several All-County Orchestra festivals, and appeared as a guest conductor for a viola ensemble at this year’s UT Knoxville Viola Celebrations. 

Greg Williams received his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Viola Performance at the CUNY Graduate Center, where he studied with Karen Ritscher and Dr. Linda Sinanian. Previously, Dr. Williams studied with Michelle LaCourse at Boston University, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Viola Performance, and with George Taylor at the Eastman School of Music, receiving his Master’s degree in Viola Performance and Literature. 

For more information, please go to https://gregorykwilliamsviolist.com/.