William Harris
William Harris retired in May 2009 as Principal Trombonist with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra after forty eight years (a charter member ofthe orchestra). He joined the orchestra ifr 1961, when it was founded, while he was an undergraduate music student at Syracuse University. Mr. Harris s.erved as a Trombonist with the United States Military Academy Band at West Point from 1963 unti11966. Mr. Harris received a Bachelor of Music Education, and Master of Music in Performance, from Syracuse University, transferring his performance credits earned at Eastman School of Music to Syracuse University. His teachers include Emory Remington, Edward Herman, and Jay Freidman and John Iannotta.
He has been an Artist Affiliate in Trombone at Syracuse University since 1971, and is a Professor Emeritus of Music at Onondaga Community College [1968 until he retired from full time teaching in 1995], where he still serves as adjunct Professor of Low Brass - Trombone, Euphonium and Tuba; he also conducted the Wind and Jazz Ensembles while at OCC. In the spring of 1984, Mr. Harris was appointed Visiting Professor of Trombone/sabbatical replacement at the Crane School of Music. He was a member of the Brass Faculty of the BOCES Summer Fame program, and also served as an Instructor of all Brass at Liverpool High School in the fall of 1998, as a leave replacement for Michael Coldren. Mr. Harris was an instrumental music teacher in the Jamesville DeWitt Schools from 1966 until 1968
As a soloist, Mr. Harris performed the Creston Fantasy for Trombone and Orchestra with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Pryor Blue Bells of Scotland and Thoughts of Love. He February of 2000, he performed the world prerniere of Dexter Morrill's "TROMBONE CONCERTO" with the SSO. He has also performed the Larsson Concertino for Trombone with the Syracuse University Wind Ensemble.
Mr. Harris has appeared with The Society for New Music, and the Skaneateles Festival. As a jazz performer he regularly performs with the Central New York Jazz Orchestra, Salt City Jazz Collective, the Stan Collella Orchestra, and Gap Mangione. He has performed with artists such as Jeff Jarvis, Frank Foster, Grady Tate, Rob McConnell, Warren Covington, John Fedchock, Tony Bennett, Nat "King" Cole, Natalie Cole, Sammy Davis, Jr., and The Four Freshmen.
Mr. Harris also adjudicates at numerous jazz events throughout the region including Cultural Resources Council, Sherburne Pageant of Bands, Potsdam Stage Band Festival, Oneida, Morrisville, and New Hartford jazz festivals. An active clinician, he has appeared at events such as the Mississippi State Educators Convention. He has contributed a series of articles on "Developing Young Trombonists" which was published in the International Trombone Journal, and has served on a committee to advance improvisational skills of young musicians, as a member of the Jazz Appreciation Society of Syracuse (Jass).
In addition to the honor bestowed on him of Professor Emeritus at Onondaga Community College, Mr. Harris was honored by Civic Morning Musicals in2004, with the CMM "Award for Excellence in Performance". He was inducted into the Alpha Sigma chapter (Syracuse University) of Phi Beta Delta [Honor Society for International scholars], as a result of his efforts in organizing the 2005 Simeon Popov Memorial Trombone Competition in Sofia, Bulgaria. While in Bulgariafor the competition, he was awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor from the Poncho Vladegerov Conservatory of Music. This is the highest award a musician can receive in Bulgaria and Mr. Harris was the first Trombonist to receive this honor.
Mr. Harris is a member of the International Trombone Association, the International Tuba and Euphonium Association, the International Association of Jazz Educators, and the American Federation of Musicians, Local 78, where he serves as Vice President. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Syracuse Children's Chorus, and was a former member of the Metropolitan School Board of Directors. Currently, he is a member of the Fayetteville Fire Department, serving as Fire Police Captain, and is also a New York State Peace Officer.
Clinic: Nod Your Head If You Want To Play Better: POSTURE IS THE KEY TO BETTER PLAYING
Last reviewed: 1/19/2010