William Franklyn Leathers is a talented and accomplished musician, making remarkable strides in the classical trumpet music scene.
Hailing from Mississauga, Canada, this 22-year-old has been lauded for the exceptional clarity in his trumpet solos, captivating audiences across Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and the Caribbean. He has been awarded numerous accolades and recognitions, most notably being named one of Canada's top 30 classical musicians under 30 by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 2022. Additionally, he was invited to perform with the esteemed National Brass Ensemble (NBE), consisting of the finest brass players in major U.S. orchestras.
Notably, William won the audition for the principal trumpet position in both the Nashville Symphony and the Santa Fe Opera in 2022. He also secured a substitute position in the Philadelphia Orchestra, showcasing his exceptional talents.
Leathers’ passion for music developed at a young age, as he was accepted into both the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Mississauga Symphony Youth Orchestra at just twelve years old. His versatility has enabled him to perform with a variety of ensembles, including the combined orchestra of The Royal Academy and Juilliard, where he played principal trumpet at BBC Proms in 2019. In 2020, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall, playing principal trumpet on Mahler's 5th Symphony with the
Juilliard Orchestra.
William's diverse capabilities have earned him substitute roles with the New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic, as well as a substitute position in the Broadway musical The Music Man. He has also performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra and as guest principal trumpet with the St. Louis Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. He has even performed as a soloist with the Nashville Philharmonic and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.
Leathers has played with several brass ensembles, including the American Brass Quintet, the New York Philharmonic Holiday Brass, and the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass. He received a Kovner Fellowship and the inaugural Fendi Vanguard Award while studying at Juilliard and was honoured with the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award in 2021.
In 2022, William was selected to serve on the Glenn Gould Foundation Prize jury and the ITG Orchestral Excerpt Competition jury. He was also a member of the 2022 Music Creation and Audio Recording Assessment panel for the Toronto Arts Council. William is a proud performing artist for Bach Brass and has teamed up with Vennture Mouthpieces to develop a line of trumpet mouthpieces bearing his name, which will be available for purchase soon.
Hailing from Mississauga, Canada, this 22-year-old has been lauded for the exceptional clarity in his trumpet solos, captivating audiences across Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and the Caribbean. He has been awarded numerous accolades and recognitions, most notably being named one of Canada's top 30 classical musicians under 30 by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 2022. Additionally, he was invited to perform with the esteemed National Brass Ensemble (NBE), consisting of the finest brass players in major U.S. orchestras.
Notably, William won the audition for the principal trumpet position in both the Nashville Symphony and the Santa Fe Opera in 2022. He also secured a substitute position in the Philadelphia Orchestra, showcasing his exceptional talents.
Leathers’ passion for music developed at a young age, as he was accepted into both the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Mississauga Symphony Youth Orchestra at just twelve years old. His versatility has enabled him to perform with a variety of ensembles, including the combined orchestra of The Royal Academy and Juilliard, where he played principal trumpet at BBC Proms in 2019. In 2020, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall, playing principal trumpet on Mahler's 5th Symphony with the
Juilliard Orchestra.
William's diverse capabilities have earned him substitute roles with the New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic, as well as a substitute position in the Broadway musical The Music Man. He has also performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra and as guest principal trumpet with the St. Louis Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. He has even performed as a soloist with the Nashville Philharmonic and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.
Leathers has played with several brass ensembles, including the American Brass Quintet, the New York Philharmonic Holiday Brass, and the Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass. He received a Kovner Fellowship and the inaugural Fendi Vanguard Award while studying at Juilliard and was honoured with the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation Award in 2021.
In 2022, William was selected to serve on the Glenn Gould Foundation Prize jury and the ITG Orchestral Excerpt Competition jury. He was also a member of the 2022 Music Creation and Audio Recording Assessment panel for the Toronto Arts Council. William is a proud performing artist for Bach Brass and has teamed up with Vennture Mouthpieces to develop a line of trumpet mouthpieces bearing his name, which will be available for purchase soon.