Hailing from Newfoundland and Labrador,  Canada, Hillary Simms is an acclaimed trombone soloist, collaborative artist, orchestral trombonist and occasional vocalist. Residing currently in New York City, Hillary is the trombonist of the American Brass Quintet and is on faculty at The Juilliard School, and Montclair State University. 

Named as one of Canada’s top 30 classical musicians under 30, Hillary gave her solo debut playing the Tomasi Concerto with the National Arts Center Orchestra under the baton of Alexander Shelley. She has since given performances of the David Concerto and the Raum Romance with NACO, as well as the Bruch Romanze with the U.S Army Orchestra along with several guest artist appearances at international festivals for trombone and brass.  

Hillary has performed in several orchestras throughout North America including The New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, National Arts Center Orchestra of Canada, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Canadian Opera Company,  Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. Prior to her appointment with ABQ, she performed regularly with Seraph Brass and can be heard playing lead trombone on the album “Then is Now” with Jens Lindemann and the Canadian All Star Jazz Band. Sometimes you can even hear her subbing on Broadway! 

Hillary has been the recipient of numerous performance awards including winning The American Trombone Workshop Solo Competition and The American Trombone Workshop Quartet Competition with two separate groups. Hillary also won 2nd prize at Le Concours Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and was a finalist in the Lätzsch Trombone Festival, the International Trombone Festival Solo Competition and the M-Prize Chamber Competition. Ms. Simms is a recipient of the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation award and upon graduation was awarded the Tani-Salsinger Gold Medal of Excellence by McGill University presented to one undergraduate student for excellence in music performance. 

During the summers, Hillary is on faculty at the Southeast Trombone Symposium and Aspen Summer Music Festival and School. Hillary serves on the artistic committee for the Canadian Women’s Brass Collective and was previously on faculty at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Hillary holds a BM from McGill University, an MM from Yale University, an AD from The Glenn Gould School Royal Conservatory of Music and is currently pursuing her DMA at Northwestern University. 

Hillary is a proud artist for Thein Brass