William Akers

Education

MM, Trombone Performance, UW-Milwaukee
BFA, Trombone Performance, UW-Milwaukee

Biography

Will Akers is a passionate and energized supporter of the arts and performance in Milwaukee, having worked with the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, Racine Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Marcus Performing Arts Center, and the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music prior to his current position as Performing Arts Programs Assistant at UW-Milwaukee. Alongside his professional work in the arts, he believes strongly in volunteer work and currently serves on the board of directors and music programming committee for the historic Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts in the Riverwest neighborhood.

As a performing artist, Will works as a freelance trombonist in the city of Milwaukee. His playing encompasses many musical styles and settings, including orchestral playing, chamber music, and jazz/popular music. Will is a long-time member of one of Milwaukee’s finest brass bands playing in the New Orleans second-line tradition, Big Style Brass Band. Other appearances have included the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, Racine Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Philharmonic, Festival City Symphony, Milwaukee Philharmonic, UW-Milwaukee Faculty Brass Quintet, and Isthmus Brass. As a passionate supporter of new, experimental, and unconventional music, Will is a member of the improvisational collective Unrehearsed, now in its tenth year of presenting. He holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and Master of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.