Pia Broden Williams
Bio
With a five octave voice described as "enchanting" and a "sheer beauty of sound," Flint native, Pia Broden Williams, is a gifted and versatile musician. Williams grew up singing gospel, jazz, and R&B, but has since gone on to sing with various opera companies and ensembles, including the Flint Symphony Orchestra and Michigan Opera Theatre.
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On the classical music stage, Pia Broden Williams made her European orchestral debut in Limonest, France, and in Austria, where she captivated concert audiences with her performance of Olympia’s “Doll Song” from The Tales of Hoffman. In Graz, she was a semi-finalist in the annual International Meistersinger Vocal Competition. She has enjoyed singing such roles as Olympia, Adina (cover), Serpina, Laetitia, and Lauretta.
In addition to performing classically, she has appeared in musical theatre productions including Ain’t Misbehavin’ and All Night Strut. Williams was also the female singer for 1930’s/40’s style big bands throughout her career and has appeared with several jazz ensembles and jazz festivals, both nationally and internationally.
Williams greatly enjoys collaborating with the skilled musicians around the thriving music community of southeastern Michigan! She currently performs with various metro-Detroit based jazz ensembles. She is one part of the new jazz vocal trio, The Birdland Babes, delivering nostalgic tunes akin to the Andrews Sisters. She is also one part of the jazz trio RPM along with Ray Urena (guitar) and Michelle Urena (woodwinds). Additionally, Williams is the female vocalist for the Stardusters Big Band, 2024 and 2025 winners of the Detroit Battle of the Big Bands, and she is the lead vocalist for the Brazilian Music Collective, Canja de Boa.
Besides performing, Pia Broden Williams is a voice instructor and coach and proudly served on the voice faculty of the Flint School of Performing Arts, where she taught students of all ages for over 15 years.
Soprano Pia Broden Williams holds a master's degree in vocal performance from Michigan State University and two bachelor's degrees from the University of Michigan, in vocal performance and philosophy.
Brief
Flint-native Pia Broden Williams is a classically trained coloratura soprano and active performer in metro-Detroit. Throughout her career, Williams has performed in a variety of styles, both in the U.S. and Europe, appearing with orchestra, opera companies, and various classical and jazz ensembles. Williams has performed at multiple festivals, including the Detroit Jazz Festival, Syracuse Jazz Festival, and Arts, Beats, and Eats. Most recently, she was featured on CBS-Detroit and performed at Cliff Bell’s in February, 2025. Additionally, she has sung such operatic roles as Olympia, Serpina, Adina, Lauretta, and has appeared on stage in several theater productions.
Williams is a former faculty member of the Flint School of Performing Arts where she taught voice for over 15 years. She holds a master’s degree in performance from Michigan State University and two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Michigan in music and in philosophy. She regularly performs with Caravan Gypsy at the Detroit Club and is the vocalist for Canja de Boa (Brazilian Music Collective), and female vocalist for the Stardusters Big Band and the North Oakland Dixieland Band. Williams resides in southeastern Michigan with her husband and their three young children.