ABBA

Conductor, professor and saxophonist who attended Catholic University of America, Conservatoire National de Bordeaux, and Northwestern University, from whence he received his Doctorate of Music.

Groups with whom he has been involved include the Bro-Street Duo, the Chicago Saxophone Quartet, the Edmonton Saxophone Quartet, the Edmonton Wind Ensemble, Ensemble International de Saxophones de Bordeaux, the Frederick Hemke Saxophone Quartet, and Quatuor International de Saxophones.

In 1988, he became a member of the faculty at the University of Alberta, conducting the wind band and teaching chamber music and saxophone. He has since gone on to serve in the capacities of Associate Chair for Undergraduate Studies and Associate Dean of Arts.

From 1992 to 1994, he was the President of NASA. (In this case, “NASA” stands for “North American Saxophone Alliance”.) He was also the Secretary of the World Saxophone Congress International Committee, which made him a key player in the XI World Congress in 1997.

In 1999, his CD recording of Malcolm Forsyth’s “Tre Vie, Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra”, was acknowledged with a Juno award nomination. He went on a couple of tours in 2006 and 2007, one stateside with Roger Admiral and another in Asia and Europe as one fourth of the aforementioned Quatuor International de Saxophones.

Recordings on which he appears include heliosaxo, My Very First Solo, and Westwind, which garnered a pair of nominations at the Western Canadian Music Awards in 2008. On 20^th September of the same year, Quatuor Internationl de Saxophone anglicized their name into “The International String Quartet” for a concert at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

William was on the advisory committee for the 2009 World Saxophone Congress, which was hosted by Bangkok, Thailand. France bestowed upon him their most prestigious award for music performance and teaching, the Certificat d’Aptitude de Saxophone.

Edmonton Wind Ensemble recordings

Snake Fence Country (Howard Cable)

CBC Records SMCD 5165 (Snake Fence Country)

Conductor – Harry Pinchin

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