About

Nathaniel Williford is a trumpet player from Kissimmee, Florida, currently in his first year pursuing a BM in Jazz Trumpet at The Juilliard School in New York City. Nathaniel was a student of the late Dan Miller and is currently studying with Tatum Greenblatt. Some of his other mentors include Wynton Marsalis, Sean Jones, Bobby Shew, and Roger Ingram. Nathaniel started playing the trumpet at 12, after playing the trombone for a year and continues to play both. In high school, he participated in the Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival at Jazz at Lincoln Center with his high school, Osceola County School for the Arts under the direction of Jason Anderson and won first place in 2022 and 2023. Nathaniel was the first and only recipient of the Snooky Young Award, awarded to outstanding soloist and lead trumpet, as well as winning outstanding trumpet both years. He then participated in Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz under the direction of Sean Jones as lead trumpet, performing alongside Jazzmeia Horn in 2022, and returning in 2023, this time with Dee Dee Bridgewater. The group toured North America in 2022, visiting Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and New York, and in 2023 toured Europe, playing in esteemed halls in Switzerland, Germany, and London. Since high school, Nathaniel has performed and/or recorded with artists such as Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, The Count Basie Orchestra, Ms. Lauryn Hill and the Fugees, Helen Sung Big Band, Jazzmeia Horn, Igmar Thomas and his Revive Big Band, The Roy Hargrove Big Band, to name a few. Now a local on the New York scene, Nathaniel can be seen playing with many of New York City’s big bands, as a sideman, and soon as a band leader. Nathaniel is a performing artist for LOTUS Trumpets, also being the youngest artist on their roster which includes musicians like Ryan Kisor (JLCO), Marcus Printup (JLCO), Nicholas Payton, Ashlin Parker and many more.