Nicholas Enrico Williams, now in his fourth year as professor and director of bands at the University of Georgia’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Hugh Hodgson School of Music, says his current role fulfills a long-held aspiration.
“I remember the first time I heard a recording of the UGA Wind Symphony in 1997,” Williams said. “It was at that time when I thought to myself ‘I want to be a faculty member at a school that has such high, and also creative, musical standards.’”
Williams recently received the National Band Association Citation of Excellence, which recognizes concert band directors whose ensembles excel or who significantly advance the field of band music.
His academic background includes earning Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees from the University of North Texas. He served there for 16 years as assistant director of wind studies before becoming director of wind bands at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music in Australia. Williams joined UGA in October 2022.
At UGA, Williams oversees five curricular ensembles performing throughout the academic season. He conducts the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble and teaches graduate students specializing in wind band conducting. He also works with the director of athletic bands, who leads the Redcoat Marching Band.
“Musical performance is one of the most constant applications of experiential learning,” Williams said. “What the students do in real time — through collaboration, hands-on musical activities — creates an extemporaneous opportunity to create something new or to re-create something that has been conceptualized, all while presenting that moment to each other and to the audience.”
Williams’ research includes commissioning new works by emerging composers worldwide. “I’m often commissioning new works,” he said, “especially those that showcase the talents of emerging composers from around the world.”
He emphasizes contemporary music within UGA’s ensembles and highlights their American roots while incorporating global influences gained during his tenure in Australia. “The modern wind band has an inherent American background,” Williams said. “We try to promote American music and American composers intentionally to a high degree while, of course, reaching beyond to the music makers around the world. After my time in Melbourne, I have added a secondary research area that includes the music of living Australian composers.”
This year marks 120 years since the founding of UGA’s Redcoat Marching Band—a legacy Williams continues to honor. “The Redcoats are among the oldest university marching bands in the world,” he said. “They’ve played a key role in countless iconic moments in both football and marching band history.”
Williams noted that over 500 students participate annually across all UGA bands—welcoming majors and non-majors alike—and highlighted their visibility: “the most visible musical entity in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, particularly the marching band, which performs for nearly a million people live in stadiums each year, in addition to millions who see and hear them on television.”
“I love the opportunity to direct a band program that includes the Redcoats and their more than century-old tradition, impact and influence on our community, alongside five concert ensembles and chamber music groups,” Williams said.
He expressed appreciation for working with students at every stage: “I’m grateful to engage with and teach a wide range of students,” Williams said, “from first-semester freshmen to graduating doctoral candidates who will soon become professors themselves.”
The next public performance featuring Williams conducting will be part of Thursday Scholarship Series with tickets available for purchase online.
