Louisa

Louisa is a saxophonist, flautist, composer and educator with a wealth of experience across performance, improvisation and music education. Originally from New Zealand, she has built an impressive career as a musician, performing internationally and developing a deep understanding of a wide range of musical styles.

Louisa holds a Master of Music in Composition from the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University of Wellington, where she was awarded the Victoria Masters by Thesis Scholarship. She also completed a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours in Jazz Performance, developing her skills as both a performer and creative musician.

Alongside her work as a professional musician, Louisa has dedicated many years to teaching students of all ages and abilities. She believes that music should be an enjoyable and inspiring experience, creating a relaxed environment where students feel comfortable exploring their instrument, developing their confidence and expressing themselves creatively.

Teaching Experience

Louisa has extensive experience teaching both individual and group lessons, having worked as an educator at the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University from 2022–2025. During this time, she taught saxophone and flute lessons, improvisation, jazz ensembles and performance workshops, working with university students at different stages of their musical development.

She has also taught at the ‘Jazz and Beyond’ workshops for high school students across New Zealand, helping young musicians develop their skills, creativity and confidence in a supportive group environment.

With over seven years of teaching experience, Louisa enjoys meeting students where they are, whether they are complete beginners to an instrument or looking to develop their technique, creativity and performance skills. Her approach is centred around making lessons enjoyable, encouraging curiosity and helping students grow in confidence as musicians.

As a multi-instrumentalist and composer, Louisa brings a broad musical perspective to her lessons, encouraging students to explore ideas, play together and develop their own musical voice. For students interested in jazz and improvisation, she enjoys creating music together in lessons, whether comping along on the piano, exploring melodies and harmony, or discovering the freedom of improvisation.

Performing & Creative Experience

Louisa is an accomplished performer and composer, with experience spanning jazz, contemporary music and collaborative performance. She was a member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band from 2017–2022 and has performed extensively throughout New Zealand, Australia and Europe as a saxophonist, flautist, pianist and session musician.

As a composer, Louisa’s original music has been recognised internationally. Her composition Dream Within A Dream from her album What Dreams May Come won the APRA New Zealand Best Jazz Composition Award in 2023. She has also performed her original compositions at the Wellington Jazz Festival with the Louisa Williamson Quintet.

Her experience as a performer and composer brings a creative perspective to her teaching, helping students explore not only how to play their instrument, but how to use music as a form of expression.