Dr. Nettie Williams

Dr. Nettie Jean Williams began her career at West Edgecombe School teaching music to elementary, middle, and high school students. During this time she also served as the Director of Music for Calvary Episcopal Parish in Tarboro. She is a graduate of East Carolina University with a degree in Music Education.

In 1976 she left Tarboro to pursue a Master's and Doctoral degree from the University of Oklahoma. She was a student of Dr. B. R. Henson and incidentally was the first woman admitted to the doctoral conducting program at OU. While she was at OU she met and married John B. Williams, Principle Bass with the Oklahoma Philharmonic Orchestra and Head of the Jazz Studies Program at OU.

She served as Director of Music at the historic First Christian Church of Oklahoma City for 25 years.

In 1990, she founded and conducted the Oklahoma Master Chorale and Orchestra for 25 years.

In 1999, Nettie and John were presented with the Musicians of the Year by the Ladies Music Club of Oklahoma City.

Upon the death of ther husband John in 2015, Nettie returned to Tarboro where she founded and continues to conduct the Tarboro Choral Society. She credits the town of Tarboro from her early days for providing the groundwork for her creativity and subsequent musical successes. She treasured the relationships with Lloyd Owens and Terry Coley for the wonderful creativity and enrichment they added to the community.