Musicג'ואן פרנקס ויליאמס

Joan Franks Williams

Joan Franks Williams was an American composer and conductor who promoted contemporary music in Seattle and in Israel.

1930 to 2003Founding New Dimensions in MusicSeattle's first electronic music studioContemporary music broadcasts in Israel

Born: 1 April 1930, Brooklyn
Died: 30 January 2003, Seattle
Occupation: conductor, composer
Education: Eastman School of Music, Manhattan School of Music

Joan Franks Williams was born in 1930 in Brooklyn

Joan Franks Williams was born in Brooklyn on April 1, 1930. Her parents loved classical music, and as a child she took piano and string lessons and often went to concerts.

She attended the High School of Music and the Arts in Manhattan. She earned a degree in music education from the Eastman School of Music in 1952, and later bachelor's and master's degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. She married Irving Williams in 1954.

In 1962 the family moved to Seattle. There she founded New Dimensions in Music, a nonprofit that presented new music, and set up the first electronic music studio in the city. She also lectured on contemporary composition.

In 1971 the family moved to Tel Aviv. She continued the concert series in Israel and ran contemporary chamber music broadcasts on the Israel Broadcasting Authority. She represented Israel at the ISCM World Music Days 4 times and served on its international jury.

She returned to Seattle in 1988. She had Parkinson's disease and died of its complications on January 30, 2003.