Colin Williams was appointed Principal Trombone of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 2002. Mr. Williams took a strong interest in music in high school, where he studied with Douglass Wright. He later continued his education at the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School, where his primary teachers included David Finlayson and Joseph Alessi. Prior to joining the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Williams played with the San Antonio Symphony for three seasons.
Mr. Williams is an active soloist and chamber musician. In 2003, he made his solo debut with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra playing Paul Creston’s Fantasy for Trombone. He has been a guest soloist with the U.S. Army Band (Pershing’s Own), the U.S. Military Academy Band, the Georgia Brass Band, the Atlanta Wind Ensemble, the Juilliard Orchestra, the JMU Brass Band, and the San Antonio Symphony. Mr. Williams has also participated in numerous festivals, including the Saito Kinen Festival Orchestra under Seiji Ozawa in Matsumoto, Japan, the Grand Teton Music Festival under Donald Runnicles, and the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival. Mr. Williams has also collaborated with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Chamber Musicians, and has performed as guest principal trombone with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall, led by Lorin Maazel. In 2009 he co-founded the Atlanta Trombone Project with his colleagues Bill Thomas and George Curran — they can be heard on their debut recording, “Roadwork,” which was released in March 2010.