William Linwood

Brief biography

Bill Linwood studied with renowned percussionist George Gaber at Indiana University and continued his studies with Cloyd Duff (Cleveland Orchestra) and Kurt-Hans Goedicke (London Symphony Orchestra). Bill has been Principal Timpani with the Victoria Symphony since 1982. Since 2000 Bill has been the Percussion Instructor at the University of Victoria. Highlights with the University of Victoria Percussion Ensemble include the Canadian premiere of George Antheil’s Ballet Mécanique (original version 1924), a program dedicated entirely to the music of Edgard Varèse and a collaborative concert with Montreal’s Quasar Quartet. 

Bill continues to offer masterclasses and clinics for professionals, students and educators across Canada. He has contributed to several journals including a series of articles for the Canadian Band Journal and is currently the percussion instructor at Powell River’s Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy.

Bill is also the Artistic Director of the acclaimed Canadian new music ensemble, Aventa. Conducting highlights include the North American premiere of Pierre Boulez’s Dérive II, the Danish premiere of Norwegian Rolf Wallin’s Appearances and the US premiere of Poul Ruders’ Abysm in New York City. A champion of the music of Quebec composer Gilles Tremblay, Bill has conducted several programs and recordings devoted to his music, including the European premiere of Tremblay’s epic À quelle heure commence le temps? in Sweden. In 2013, Bill conducted the inaugural season of Ensemble 1534, a pan-Canadian group based in Ottawa at the National Arts Centre dedicated to the performance of Canadian new music. In 2015, Bill conducted the Australian premiere of Gavin Bryars’ opera Marilyn Forever, as part of the Adelaide Festival and made his US debut with Long Beach Opera to critical acclaim: “…expert conducting” – Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times “…Linwood conducts stylishly and authoritatively” – Jim Ruggirello, Gazettes, Los Angeles. In 2009, in recognition of his dedication and commitment to Canadian music, Bill was named a CMC Ambassador as part of the Canadian Music Centre’s 50^th anniversary. In 2017, he made his debut with the Victoria Symphony, leading the orchestra in their Explorations and New Music Series.