Shiree X. Williams

A native of Waycross, GA, Dr. Williams earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Valdosta State University, Master of Music degree in Conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from The University of Texas at Austin.

Before teaching at the university level, Dr. Williams served as Associate Director of Bands at McKinney High School and Director of Bands at Faubion Middle School in McKinney Independent School District in McKinney, TX. During his public school teaching career, bands under his leadership consistently received superior ratings for their high-level performances.
Dr. Williams is an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. He conducts district, regional, and professional bands throughout the United States with recent appearances as Guest Artistic Director and Conductor of the Dallas Winds, and Guest Conductor of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” Dr. Williams is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the 2015 College Band Directors National Association Mike Moss Diversity Fellowship, the 2018 Reynolds Conducting Institute Fellowship (inaugural), and named a semi-finalist and finalist in 2018-2019 for The American Prize in Conducting — professional and college/university band division.
In addition to teaching and conducting, he is a contributing author to the latest volume of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, a teaching resource guide, and has presented at the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference on topics regarding the first years of teaching for aspiring and novice music educators.

As an arranger, Dr. Williams has collaborated with Pulitzer Prize, Grawemeyer Award, Grammy Award, and Academy Award winning composer John Corigliano to transcribe, premiere, and publish his orchestral piece To Music for Wind Ensemble — available for distribution at G. Schirmer. Additionally, Dr. Williams is currently arranging and transcribing music for the wind band with the goal of introducing musicians to composers who have been historically underrepresented due to their race or gender. Recent transcriptions include Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s O Ye That Love the Lord – Short Anthem for Wind Ensemble and Lift Up Your Heads – Short Festival Anthem for Wind Ensemble. Both works are available at Murphy Music Press.

Dr. Williams’s professional affiliations include Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, National Band Association, College Band Directors National Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Georgia Music Educators Association, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.