Joan Franks-Williams

Joan Franks-Williams (b. New York, 1930 – d. Seattle 2003; emigrated to Israel in 1971, returned to Seattle ca. 1988) directed the chamber music department of the Israel Broadcasting Authority between 1972 and ca. 1988. She initiated the concert series New Dimension in Music, beginning in the mid 1970’s until 1985, producing and often conducting concerts. She studied in New York with Wolpe, Shapey, Ussachewsky and Haubenstock-Ramati. Franks Williams enhanced the Israeli avant-garde at the time, not only as a radio producer, but also through her uncommonly humorous interpretation of the avant-garde in her own works. She wrote over thirty pieces, some twenty of them while in Israel, mostly chamber music.

Information is taken from from the Jewish Music Research Centre website.