Hailing from Torbay in Newfoundland and Labrador, Hillary Simms is the newest trombonist and first female member of the acclaimed American Brass Quintet (ABQ). With her appointment to the ABQ, Hillary also joins the faculty at The Juilliard School and the Aspen Music Festival and School.
Named as one of Canada’s top 30 classical musicians under 30, Hillary Simms has performed with several ensembles throughout North America, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which she recently joined on their three-week tour of Europe under the baton of Maestro Riccardo Muti. She has also performed with the New York Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Canadian Opera Company, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.
Prior to joining ABQ, she was a guest artist with Seraph Brass, and is a founding member of the Canadian Trombone Quartet and Saltwater Brass Quintet. She can be heard playing lead trombone on the album Then is Now with Jens Lindemann and the Canadian All-Star Jazz Band as well as her 2020 solo performance of the Tomasi concerto with the National Arts Centre Orchestra on YouTube.
Hillary Simms serves on the artistic committee for the Canadian Women’s Brass Collective, and was previously on the faculty of Memorial University of Newfoundland. She holds degrees from McGill University, Yale University, and the Glenn Gould School. She is currently pursuing a DMA at Northwestern University and is a Thein Brass artist.