William Lucas

A member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra trumpet section since May 1988, William Lucas was born and raised in metro Detroit. He attended Plymouth High School and the University of Michigan, where he studied both engineering and music. He spent many years performing as a freelance musician in the Detroit and Ann Arbor areas and served as Associate Principal Trumpet of the Toledo Symphony prior to his appointment in Detroit.

An active member of the freelance, jazz, and chamber music communities in metro Detroit, Lucas has appeared as a jazz soloist in many popular jazz clubs and nightspots in Vail, Colorado, as well as the Detroit and Montreux, Switzerland jazz festivals. A prolific arranger for small ensembles, he is frequently called upon to compose trumpet fanfares for local commemorations. Lucas’s arrangements for brass have been performed by Celli Jam, composed of members of the DSO cello section.

Lucas has served on the faculties of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University, where he was the director of the Wayne State University Brass Ensemble.

In his spare time, Lucas enjoys composing music, playing jazz, mountain biking, and playing tennis. He also coaches professionals in their preparation to take orchestral auditions.