William Smith

SCHOLAR DESCRIPTION

William Smith is a drummer, percussionist, composer and educator based in New York City. He has obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Drum-set from the HKU conservatory in Utrecht in 2021, and in 2024 he obtained his Masters Degree in Jazz Drum-set from the Manhattan School of Music in New York, where he studied with Kendrick Scott and John Riley.

In July 2022, he released his debut album comprised solely of original music entitled “Nomad”, with his quartet, which won the Arts Council Malta “Premju G?all-Arti” prize for best musical production in 2023. He has played in various venues both as a band leader and a side-man in the Netherlands and in Malta such as the Bimhuis, TivoliVredenburg, and the Malta Jazz Festival. He has also toured extensively with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and played in many prestigious concert halls around the world including the Alte Oper, Berliner Philharmoniker, Muzikverein, Mariinsky Theatre and Carnegie Hall.

During his time in New York so far, he has played in numerous jazz venues such as Dizzy’s Club and The Django, and aspires to continue working as a side-man and bandleader in the New York jazz circuit. He is also a drum teacher at The Smith School and Larchmont Music Academy in New York.