About the Collection

The Jan Williams Collection of Images consists of 548 photographs, slides, and contact sheets, taken by Jan Williams, his friends, and professional photographers. The collection documents the career of Jan Williams and his travels to several countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Uruguay, and many cities in the United States. More than one hundred images are of various venues in Buffalo, New York where Jan spent the bulk of his career. The collection contains images of many notable composers such as John Cage, Cornelius Cardew, Elliott Carter, David Del Tredici, Lukas Foss, Lejaren Hiller, Morton Feldman, Conlon Nancarrow, Pauline Oliveros, and Virgil Thomson. Performers represented in the images include the members of the New Percussion Quartet, Creative Associates, Nils Vigeland, and Eberhard Blum.

Jan Williams was born in Utica, New York in 1939. He earned his B.M. and M.M. degrees as a percussionist at the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Paul Price. Williams came to Buffalo as a Creative Associate at the Center of the Creative and Performing Arts in 1964. He became a member of the University at Buffalo Music Faculty in 1967 and Co-Director of the Center in 1974. Williams has been a mainstay of the international contemporary music scene, as percussionist, conductor, administrator, and educator.

Complete details about the collection can be found in the finding aid for the collection.