Billy Kilson is a highly acclaimed, innovative jazz drummer and educator known for his work with Dave Holland, Chris Botti, and George Duke. Kilson, an associate professor at Berklee College of Music, is renowned for his powerful, "water-like" technique, extensive touring, and Grammy-winning performances.

While studying at Berklee, Kilson met legendary percussion teacher Alan Dawson, who became his teacher and mentor. Kilson has released four albums as a leader and appeared on a long list of notable recordings, including the Grammy-nominated Chris Botti in Boston. Bassist and bandleader Holland invited Kilson to join his band in the 1990s, and Kilson has appeared on several acclaimed Holland releases, including Overtime and What Goes Around, both of which earned Grammy Awards in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category.

Billy generously conducts masterclasses and clinics worldwide, tailoring them to suit various needs, including artist-in-residence-type events. Billy's main topics include :-

Small Band Jazz – designed for high-level student performers who are focused on their development as jazz instrumentalists. This ensemble will perform a wide range of jazz styles, including swing, bebop, free, avant-garde, and contemporary.

Contemporary Jazz – also designed for high-level student performers who are focused on their development as jazz instrumentalists, with repertoire from the contemporary jazz genre, which has been developed out of the jazz tradition and been influenced by world music and contemporary popular music.

Electric Jazz – again designed for high-level students and performers that are interested in the use of electronic instruments and electronics in jazz performance. This ensemble will perform repertoire from the contemporary jazz genre, which has been developed out of the jazz tradition and influenced by world music and contemporary popular music, including funk and rock

Percussion: All Levels – Public and private classes providing enhanced focus on repertoire, public performance and all things DRUMS!.

The drummer, educator, and now author is sharing his experiences with his fans around the world. However, he always says nothing is greater than sharing each and every moment of his history as well as knowledge with his students at Berklee. Billy says, “No doubt, besides my family, my students are my greatest inspiration.”