John McLaughlin Williams
Encyclopedia
John McLaughlin Williams is a Grammy award-winning American orchestral conductor and violinist.
He attended the Boston University
School of Music, the New England Conservatory and is a graduate of The Cleveland Institute of Music
. His violin studies were with Dorothy Delay
, conducting with Carl Topilow and composition with Donald Erb
and Margaret Brouwer
. A relative newcomer to conducting, he has appeared as a guest conductor with many ensembles, but at present he holds no permanent post. He has recorded several cds for the Naxos Records
label, all in their American Classics series, where he has shown a remarkable ability to uncover lost gems by American composers of the first half of the twentieth century (such as Henry Hadley and John Alden Carpenter
), and bring them vividly to life with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and the National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. The resurgence of interest in western American composer George Frederick McKay
(1899-1970) can be attributed to John's pioneering Naxos recordings of McKay's music. As a violinist he has appeared as soloist around the US, and he was an active free-lancer in the Boston area, where he was Assistant Concertmaster
of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and played as a substitute with the Boston Symphony. John was also a member of the Houston Symphony, and was Concertmaster of the Virginia Symphony. He was awarded a Grammy in 2007 for his recording of Olivier Messiaen
's Oiseaux Exotiques, in which he conducted the Cleveland Chamber Symphony
with pianist Angelin Chang
. John has received a total of four Grammy Nominations, the most recent being awarded in 2010 and 2008. John McLaughlin Williams has also served as Assistant Conductor of the Britt Festival
in Oregon
.
He attended the Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
School of Music, the New England Conservatory and is a graduate of The Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music is an independent music conservatory located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States and is overseen by president Joel Smirnoff and Adrian Daly, dean....
. His violin studies were with Dorothy Delay
Dorothy DeLay
Dorothy DeLay was an American violin instructor, primarily at the Juilliard School.She was born in Medicine Lodge, Kansas.-Career and education:...
, conducting with Carl Topilow and composition with Donald Erb
Donald Erb
Donald Erb was an American composer best known for large orchestral works such as Concerto for Brass and Orchestra and Ritual Observances.-Early years:...
and Margaret Brouwer
Margaret Brouwer
Margaret Brouwer Margaret Brouwer Margaret Brouwer (b. Ann Arbor, Michigan, is an American composer.Brouwer studied at Oberlin College, graduating in 1962, and received her master's degree from Michigan State University. Having started her musical career as a professional violinist with the Fort...
. A relative newcomer to conducting, he has appeared as a guest conductor with many ensembles, but at present he holds no permanent post. He has recorded several cds for the Naxos Records
Naxos Records
Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
label, all in their American Classics series, where he has shown a remarkable ability to uncover lost gems by American composers of the first half of the twentieth century (such as Henry Hadley and John Alden Carpenter
John Alden Carpenter
John Alden Carpenter was an American composer.-Biography:Born in Park Ridge, Illinois, Carpenter was raised in a musical household. He was educated at Harvard University, where he studied under John Knowles Paine, and was president of the Glee Club and wrote music for the Hasty-Pudding Club...
), and bring them vividly to life with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine and the National Radio Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. The resurgence of interest in western American composer George Frederick McKay
George Frederick McKay
George Frederick McKay was a prolific modern American composer.-Biography:McKay was born in the Far West of America in the small frontier wheat farming town of Harrington, Washington. His family later moved to the much larger town of Spokane, where he attended school up to his college years...
(1899-1970) can be attributed to John's pioneering Naxos recordings of McKay's music. As a violinist he has appeared as soloist around the US, and he was an active free-lancer in the Boston area, where he was Assistant Concertmaster
Concertmaster
The concertmaster/mistress is the spalla or leader, of the first violin section of an orchestra. In the UK, the term commonly used is leader...
of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and played as a substitute with the Boston Symphony. John was also a member of the Houston Symphony, and was Concertmaster of the Virginia Symphony. He was awarded a Grammy in 2007 for his recording of Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
's Oiseaux Exotiques, in which he conducted the Cleveland Chamber Symphony
Cleveland Chamber Symphony
The Cleveland Chamber Symphony is an American chamber orchestra based in Cleveland, Ohio. It is dedicated to the performance of contemporary classical music, and has presented over 200 performance premieres.-History:...
with pianist Angelin Chang
Angelin Chang
Angelin Chang is a Grammy® Award-winning classical pianist and professor of music at Cleveland State University. She heads the university's keyboard studies program and coordinates the university's chamber music program...
. John has received a total of four Grammy Nominations, the most recent being awarded in 2010 and 2008. John McLaughlin Williams has also served as Assistant Conductor of the Britt Festival
Britt Festival
Britt is a non-profit performing arts festival located in Jacksonville, Oregon. Since its creation it has been among the premier performing arts festivals in the Northwest, and has managed to attract high-profile and local acts in music for decades. Britt also sponsors a number of educational...
in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
Awards and recognitions
- 2010 Grammy Nomination for Best Chamber Music Performance 2010 Grammy.com Classical Nominees
- 2010 Grammy Nomination for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra) 2010 Grammy.com Classical Nominees
- 2008 Grammy Nomination for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra)
- 2007Grammy Awards of 2007The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning September 15, 2005 and ending September 14, 2006 in the United States. The awards were handed out on Sunday February 11, 2007 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dixie Chicks...
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra)Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra)The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance was awarded from 1959 to 2011. From 1967 to 1971 and in 1987 the award was combined with the award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance and awarded as the Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance - Instrumental Soloist or...
(Won) - 2006Grammy Awards of 2006The 48th Annual Grammy Awards took place on February 8, 2006 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Irish rock band U2 were the big winners, winning five awards including Album of the Year. Mariah Carey, John Legend, and Kanye West each were nominated for eight awards and won three,...
Grammy Nomination for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra)
Discography
- Deon Nielsen Price : Orchestral Works http://www.cambriamus.com/cds/cd_orchestal.htm
- Ernest Bloch ; Violin Concerto, Benjamin Lees: Violin Concerto (2008 Grammy Nominee)http://www.artekrecordings.com/artek/CD42.htm
- Nicolas Flagello : Missa Sinfonico, Arnold Rosner: Symphony No.5 Missa sine Cantoribus super Salve Reginahttp://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.559347
- Olivier Messiaen : Oiseaux Exotiques http://www.tncmusic.net/article_info.php?articles_id=22 (2007 Grammy Winner)
- Nicolas Flagello : Violin Concerto / Orchestral Excerpts from the Operas / Orchestral Songs http://www.artekrecordings.com/artek/CD36.htm
- John Alden Carpenter : Adventures in a Perambulator / Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.559065
- Nicolas Flagello : Piano Concerto No. 1 / Dante's Farewell / Concerto Sinfonico
- Henry Kimball Hadley: Symphony No. 4 / The Ocean / The Culprit Fay http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.559064
- George Frederick McKay: From a Moonlit Ceremony / Harbor Narrative http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.559052
- George Frederick McKay: Violin Concerto / Sinfonietta No. 4 / Song Over the Great Plains http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.559225
- Quincy Porter: Complete Viola Works http://www.dorian.com/store/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=5997
External links
- Ann Arbor.Com 6/13/10 Feature Article
- Detroit Free Press 2/20/09 John McLaughlin Williams is a conductor...
- Arts Management Services
- Seeing Black: The Other Grammy Winner
- TNC Recordings Featured Article Cleveland Chamber Symphony: Music That Dares To Explore, Vol. 6
- The Carolina Peacemaker Featured Article
- Conductor info on the Naxos website.