Musician from Torbay, N.L., becomes Juilliard's 1st female trombone prof
With her appointment, Hillary Simms also becomes a member of the American Brass Quintet
The Juilliard School in New York City has announced the appointment of Hillary Simms, a trombonist from Torbay, N.L., to its brass faculty. Simms becomes the first female trombone professor in the famed institution's history.
She's one of two new brass profs named by Juilliard, the other being trumpeter Brandon Ridenour, who has performed with the Canadian Brass in the past. With their appointments, Ridenour and Simms also become the newest members of the American Brass Quintet, an ensemble in residence at Juilliard since 1987.
"A lot of my career has been about visibility as a female brass player," Simms told CBC Music. "So, to be visible in one of the premiere classical chamber groups in North America feels really good. I'm also a proud Newfoundlander, so I'm ecstatic that I can represent Newfoundland on the classical music stage throughout the world. I owe a lot of my success to the music community in Newfoundland that supported me throughout the years."
"We are thrilled to add two truly wonderful, multitalented artists as partners and stewards of the mission of ABQ," announced a statement from the ensemble. "Hillary and Brandon have already brought new energy and inspiring ideas to the group, not to mention a fresh look and sound. We can't wait to share this new version of ABQ with audiences worldwide."
Simms, who was featured on the 2020 edition of CBC Music's classical "30 under 30" list, holds a bachelor of music from McGill University's Schulich School of Music, a master's from Yale University and an artist diploma from the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music. She's currently working toward a doctorate in musical arts at Northwestern University.
Watch her play music by Charles Ives: