Robert S. Williams
Robert S. Williams (born 1949) is an American bassoonist. He has been Principal Bassoonist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra since September 1974. Prior to that appointment he was solo bassoonist with the Winnipeg Symphony, Winnipeg CBC Orchestra, Colorado Philharmonic and Tucson Symphony. He has also played summer engagements with the Minnesota Orchestra and Boston Symphony at Tanglewood.
In addition to his duties with the Detroit Symphony, Williams plays in the CutTime Players, the Neo-Bubonic Bassoon Quartet, the DSO Bassoon Quartet, the DSO Woodwind Quintet, the Bellingham Music Festival and the Grand Teton Music Festival. He teaches at Wayne State University and has been on the music faculties of the Aspen Music School and Festival, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, the Grand Teton Orchestra Training Institute, Claremont Music Festival and the Utah Music Festival. He has also given master classes at Tanglewood, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the University of Arizona.
Williams can be heard on all of the Detroit Symphony recordings conducted by former Music Director Antal Doráti on the London/Decca label, as well as the recordings on the Chandos label led by Neeme Järvi.
A native of Tucson, Arizona, he graduated with honors from the University of Arizona and did postgraduate work at the University of Southern California. His major bassoon teachers include Wendal Jones, Leonard Sharrow and Norman Herzberg.
Together with his wife Treva Womble (solo English hornist with the Detroit Symphony), he is the owner of Womble/Williams Double Reeds, a home business that specializes in products for the oboe and bassoon. They are authorized Fox dealers, produce bassoon cane and sell supplies for both oboe and bassoon. Williams plays on a red maple, gold-plated Fox model 601 bassoon, built in South Whitley, Indiana, in 2005.