Dr. Evan Williams, assistant professor of music and director of instrumental activities at Rhodes College, has been selected as the commissioned composer for the Lesbian and Gay Band Association’s 40th Anniversary Conference to be held next year in Chicago. Williams was selected from a group of talented and diverse active composers worldwide and plans to compose a fantasia-like piece of many moods, reflective of the poetry of Claude McKay, a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance.
Williams’ music—drawing from a wide range of influences both culturally and musically—has been performed across the country and internationally, including in Italy and Switzerland. In 2018, he served as the Detroit Symphony’s inaugural African American Classical Roots Composer-in-Residence.
As a conductor, Williams has led performances of numerous chamber ensembles and of the International Contemporary Ensemble.
Williams, who also serves as music director of the Rhodes Orchestra, combines music and technology in his teaching, specifically focusing on his work with live and interactive electronics.