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Dr. Cheldon Williams serves as Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at West Virginia University, where he directs “The Pride of West Virginia” – The Mountaineer Marching Band, which performed as a featured ensemble in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He also conducts the WVU Symphonic Band and teaches conducting and music arranging. Dr. Williams previously served as Associate Director of Bands at New Mexico State University (2016).

Dr. Williams holds degrees from Florida State University (Bachelor of Music Education 2004, Master of Music Education 2014) and The University of Texas at Austin (Doctor of Musical Arts 2020). His academic training combines equal parts scholarship, practical pedagogical approaches, and artistry, all of which inform his teaching and creative work.

As a sought-after conductor and clinician, Dr. Williams works with high school bands and orchestras nationwide. His research on assessing ensemble performance quality has been presented at the prestigious Midwest Clinic, as well as the Texas Music Educators Assosciation Conference, the Florida Music Educators Association Conference, West Virginia Music Education Association In-Service Conference, and other national venues for music education. Some of his writing appears in Volume 12 of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, contributing to the field’s pedagogical resources.

Dr. Williams’ innovative Rediscovery Series adapts and transcribes music from other mediums for the wind band, highlighting historically underrepresented composers. Distributed through Murphy Music Press, this acclaimed project has been performed by “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, the U.S. Navy Concert Band, and has been featured in multiple performances at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. The series has received noteworthy performances from secondary region and all-state ensembles as well as R1 (Research 1) institutions, including Michigan State University, Penn State University, the University of Oregon, and the University of Georgia, among others.

Active in professional organizations, Dr. Williams holds memberships in the West Virginia Music Educators Association and National Association for Music Education, with previous affiliations in Texas, New Mexico, and Florida music education associations. Through his dedicated work with The Pride of West Virginia, the WVU Symphonic Band, and his innovative Rediscovery Series, Dr. Williams continues to advance the art of wind band performance and music education through both practice and scholarship.