Praised by New York critic Harris Goldsmith for her ‘impeccable soloistic authority’ and ‘dazzling performances’, American pianist Heidi Louise Williams has appeared in solo and collaborative performances across North America and internationally, having won numerous prizes. Her engagements have included recitals at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Taiwan National Recital Hall in Taipei, the Chicago Cultural Center, the French Embassy in Washington D.C., and festivals in France and Italy. Her playing has been heard on WFMT Chicago, Classic 99 St. Louis, WQLN Pennsylvania, and KUAT Tucson, and on classical stations throughout Taiwan and Canada.
An ardent promoter of new music, Williams has worked with many distinguished composers. Her Albany Records solo album, DRIVE AMERICAN, was named among the top 10 classical albums of 2011 in the Philadelphia City Paper, featured in Fanfare’s 2012 Critics’ Want Lists, and has been described as ‘veritably operatic’, ‘bold yet thoughtful’, ‘provocative and stimulating’ (Fanfare), possessing ‘…the muscularity and poetic power to bring this demanding repertory to life’ (American Record Guide). Her 2019 Albany Records solo release BEYOND THE SOUND, featuring sonatas by Charles T. Griffes, George Walker, Carlisle Floyd, and Samuel Barber, was selected twice for inclusion in the 2020 Fanfare Critics’ Want Lists, garnering the headline by British music critic Colin Clarke: “Brilliant programming meets performances of fire meets excellent recording meets superb documentation: this is a significant release from all angles.” An avid chamber musician, Williams has collaborated with numerous outstanding American and international artists. Other recording projects for Albany Records include her award-winning 2018 release with soprano Mary Mackenzie, VOCALISMS, a 2-disc album devoted to premiere recordings of American Art Songs by Daniel Crozier, John Harbison, James Primosch and Ned Rorem; and CONVERSA, an album of North and South American cello-piano duos released in December 2021 with cellist Gregory Sauer. She has also recorded for the Naxos, Centaur and Neos labels.
Recipient of both a 2020 Undergraduate Teaching Award and a 2020 Outstanding Graduate Faculty Mentor Award from Florida State University, Williams joined the FSU College of Music in 2007. Her growing roster of graduate and undergraduate students have won regional, national, and international recognition, and are actively employed in teaching and performing roles across the U.S. and abroad. Williams completed her BM, MM, and DMA degrees at the Peabody Institute, where she studied with Ann Schein and coached chamber music with Earl Carlyss, Samuel Sanders, Stephen Kates, and Robert McDonald. For more information, visit www.heidilouisewilliams.com.
