Meet the Faculty for the
Savannah Trombone Workshop:

Dr. Evan Williams

Dr. Evan Williams is a trombonist and educator currently serving as Principal Trombone in the Richmond Symphony. Evan was recently appointed as Assistant Principal trombone for the National Symphony in DC, and will start that position in the Fall of 2024. Prior to playing with the Richmond Symphony, Evan served as Principal Trombone for the Central Texas Philharmonic, and Second Trombone for the Mid-Texas Symphony. In addition to these positions, Dr. Williams has played with several other orchestras including the Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, and was guest principal with the Seattle Symphony, which included playing bass trumpet on Wagner's Gotterdamerung.

Evan received his Bachelor's in music from Columbus State University and received both a Master's and a Doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2019, Evan was invited to finals for the International Trombone Festival and was named winner of the ITF Alto Trombone Competition, Frank Smith Solo Competition, and the Lewis Van Haney Excerpt Competition. In the same year, Evan also won the Steven Zellmer Orchestral Trombone Competition after being a finalist in 2017, 2015, and 2013. In his free time, Evan enjoys rock climbing, painting, or staying home with his cat.

Jaron McCarr

A native of Savannah, GA; trombonist, educator and composer/arranger Jaron McCarr began studying music at an early age, starting on piano before eventually switching to trombone. Jaron would go on to obtain a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance from Valdosta State University and a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Northern Illinois University. At NIU, he was named a Graduate Assistant where he not only taught classes and coached student combos, but also performed with the NIU Rosebud Jazztet, most notably at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in New York. He has also been seen in performances at the Chicago Jazz Festival, The Hyde Park Jazz Festival, and The Jazz Education Network (JEN) Conference.
 
Jaron has been fortunate to have performed with many local and national music acts including The Chicago Jazz Orchestra, The Fabulous Equinox Jazz Orchestra, The Savannah Jazz Orchestra, The Eric Jones Trio, Sean Jones, and David Pabón. Currently, Jaron is based out of Savannah, where he can be found performing throughout the southeast as well as teaching privately.

Mark Spradley

Mark Spradley is currently the Second Trombone with the Savannah Philharmonic, the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, and the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra. He has performed with many other orchestras in the Southeast, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Waco Symphony, LaGrange Symphony, Albany Symphony, Beaufort Symphony, and the North Charleston POPS. Also an accomplished soloist, Mr. Spradley was a national finalist and placed as one of the top prize winners in the Young Artist Brass Competition hosted by the Music Teachers National Association, held in Anaheim, California.

He earned his bachelor's degree in music performance at Columbus State University's Schwob School of Music. While attending CSU, he was a member of the Columbus State University’s Trombone Choir and Octet, which released their Debut CD, “A Beautiful Noise” with Summit Records in 2013. “A Beautiful Noise” is a collaboration with some of the world’s top trombonists representing symphonies and other ensembles from Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Chicago, New York and the Metropolitan Opera. His primary trombone teachers/mentors include Dr. Bradley Palmer and Nathan Zgonc.

In addition to maintaining a busy performance schedule, Mr. Spradley serves full time as Education Manager with the Savannah Philharmonic, enjoys teaching private lessons, and he conducts the Savannah Trombone Choir. Mr. Spradley founded the Savannah Trombone Workshop and has served on faculty since the inaugural program in 2016.