Making Music With Bill
Featuring William Eddins
Music Director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Pianist, Pinball Enthusiast
November 15, 2013
Francis Winspear Centre for Music
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
William Eddins is Music Director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and recently completed a five year stint as Principal Guest conductor of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin, Ireland. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., he currently resides in Minneapolis with his lovely wife Jen, a clarinetist, and their two boys Raef (AKA Raefster; Munchers) and Riley (AKA Squeaky; The Imp; Dr. No)
Bill has been playing piano since he was five. He started conducting during his sophomore year at the Eastman School of Music, and most of the ’80s were spent trying to decide whether to pursue a career in conducting or piano. The quandary was answered for him when he realized that the life of a poor, starving pianist was for the birds. In 1989 Bill decided to study conducting with Dan Lewis at the University of Southern California, and from there he managed to land assistant conductor posts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra in 1992.
He is committed to bringing classical music to the greater public. He runs a podcast entitled Classical Connections, through which he explores the history of classical music and highlights live chamber performances he’s taken part in. He has also produced a solo piano album — Bad Boys, Volume I –- which features works such as Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata and Albright’s “Nightmare Fantasy Rag.”
For his personal website visit http://www.williameddins.com/.