Larry Joe Williams III–Lead Viola Instructor

Larry Joe Williams III is a violist from Detroit, Michigan, who began his musical studies on flute at age 11 before transitioning to viola at 14. He studied with Detroit Symphony Orchestra violist Hang Su and was an active member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Civic Youth Ensembles and the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra, performing in Orchestra Hall and Robert A. & Maggie Allesee Hall. Larry Joe later pursued advanced studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Jonathan Vinocour, Principal Viola of the San Francisco Symphony, where he performed extensively in the opera orchestra, including productions of Glory Denied by Tom Cipullo and Le Nozze di Figaro, and collaborated with student composers to premiere new chamber and operatic works.

In fall 2021, Larry Joe continued his studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, working with Che-Yen Chen of the Ehnes String Quartet. While at UCLA, he served as Co-Principal Viola of the orchestra, remained active in opera performance, and collaborated with the graduate composition department to premiere works inspired by Kurtág’s Signs, Games, and Messages. In November 2023, he won a position with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. He joined ICYOLA in spring 2024 as a Viola Mentor and Lead Viola Instructor for the ICYOLA Academy, where he maintains an active studio of 13 students. Based in Los Angeles, Larry Joe is mentored by Michael Casimir of the St. Louis Symphony and performs on a 2009 Hiroshi Iizuka viola, generously on loan from his former teacher, Hang Su.