William Eddins facts for kids

William Eddins

William Eddins is an American pianist and conductor. He was born on December 9, 1964, in Buffalo, New York. From 2005 to 2017, he was the music director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

Early Life and Education

William Eddins started playing the piano when he was just five years old. His parents found a piano at a garage sale, which sparked his musical journey. He studied piano with David Effron at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

Eddins finished his piano degree in 1983 when he was 18. He was one of the youngest students to graduate from that school. Later, he studied conducting with Daniel Lewis at the USC Thornton School of Music. In 1987, he helped start the New World Symphony Orchestra in Miami, Florida.

A Career in Music

William Eddins has held many important roles in the music world. He was an Associate Conductor for the Minnesota Orchestra. He also served as the Resident Conductor for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He was the Principal Guest Conductor for the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. Eddins also worked as an assistant to Daniel Barenboim at the Berlin State Opera.

In 2000, Eddins received a special honor called the Seaver Conducting Award. This award is given to very talented young American conductors. It is funded by the Seaver Institute and the National Endowment for the Arts.

His Musical Style

As a conductor, William Eddins enjoys many different types of music. He likes to perform the music of classical composers like Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. He also often includes music from North America in his concerts.

You might hear him perform works by Bernstein, Copland, Gershwin, and Antheil. He is also very interested in the music of Lili Boulanger. Eddins has worked with many modern composers too. These include Steve Reich, Steven Stucky, Wynton Marsalis, Oskar Morawetz, Malcolm Forsyth, Allan Gilliland, John Estacio, and Aaron Jay Kernis.

As a Pianist

William Eddins has recorded many piano pieces. He has his own CD label where he released solo piano works. These include music by Beethoven, Debussy, and William Albright. He also recorded cello concertos by Virgil Thomson, William Schuman, and William Perry for Naxos Records.

Eddins loves playing chamber music, which is music for a small group of instruments. He often conducts pieces by Mozart, Beethoven, Gershwin, Poulenc, Franck, Fauré, and Ravel while playing the piano himself. He also creates and hosts podcasts called Classical Connections. These podcasts help people learn about the history of classical music.

Personal Life

William Eddins is married to Jennifer Gerth. She is a talented clarinetist and a college instructor. They have been married for over twenty years and have two sons, Raef and Riley.