Hillary Simms

Hailing from Torbay, Newfoundland, and Labrador, Hillary Simms is the newest trombonist and first female member of the acclaimed American Brass Quintet. With her appointment to the ABQ, Hillary also joins the faculty at The Juilliard School. Named as one of Canada’s top 30 classical musicians under 30, Hillary gave her solo debut playing Tomasi’s Trombone Concerto with the National Arts Center Orchestra of Canada under the baton of Alexander Shelley. Hillary has performed with several ensembles throughout North America including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony, Canadian Opera Company, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. Prior to joining ABQ, she played with the Seraph Brass, and is a founding member of the Canadian Trombone Quartet. She plays lead trombone on the album Then is Now with Jens Lindemann and the Canadian All-Star Jazz Band. Hillary has won the American Trombone Workshop Solo Competition, and the American Trombone Workshop Quartet Competition with two separate groups. Hillary placed second at Le Concours Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, and in the finals for the Lätzsch Trombone Festival, and received the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation award. She serves on the artistic committee for the Canadian Women’s Brass Collective, and was previously on faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Hillary holds degrees from McGill University, Yale University, and Glenn Gould School; she is pursuing the DMA at Northwestern University. Hillary is a proud artist for Thein Brass.