Hilliard Greene
2 Courses • 3 StudentsBiography
Hilliard Greene is an internationally renowned upright and electric bassist, composer, and educator whose career spans more than three decades of performance and instruction. With a background that bridges classical, jazz, blues, rock, R&B, and global traditions, Greene is known for his versatility, expressiveness, and deep musicality. He performs widely in New York City—from Carnegie Hall to jazz clubs and recording studios—and has toured throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada, and the West Indies, appearing in major concert halls, festivals, and broadcasts.
Hilliard studied at the University of Northern Iowa, Berklee College of Music, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Empire State College. He further honed his compositional voice through private studies with the influential theorist James Forte. His rigorous academic training is complemented by decades of real-world experience, performing and/or recording with legendary artists including Jimmy Scott (serving as his Musical Director), Cecil Taylor, Gloria Lynne, Jacky Terrasson, Rashied Ali, Kenny Barron, Joanne Brackeen, Don Pullen, Village Vanguard Orchestra, Oscar Brown Jr., Matana Roberts, Vijay Iyer, and Roy Campbell Jr., among many others.
As a bandleader, Hilliard has released three albums with his group The Jazz Expressions, as well as a highly regarded solo bass album, "Alone." His performance style balances technical mastery with emotional depth, and he is especially noted for his current work in solo performance and tango.
Greene is also a dedicated educator with over 25 years of teaching experience, and has been a full-time faculty member at The Collective School of Music in New York City since 1997. He has taught privately in the U.S. and abroad, and led workshops and masterclasses at institutions including Rutgers University, University of Northern Iowa, University of Texas at Austin, and music conservatories across Japan, Portugal, Romania, Germany, and Argentina. His impact as an educator extends to public school systems and university programs, where he inspires students of all levels with his profound knowledge and passion for music.
Hilliard Greene proudly endorses Thomastik-Infeld strings and Godlyke basses, and continues to shape the next generation of musicians through performance, composition, and education.
