Bill Whitley
Composer and pianist Bill Whitley lives in Albany, Oregon with his wife Kim, daughters Caitlyn and Sydni, and son William.
Bill began playing piano and composing at age 13. After short stints at Eastern Washington University (jazz piano), and Berklee College of Music (Songwriting), he received a Bachelor of Arts in 1994 from Gonzaga University where he studied organ, piano, and composing. In 2000, he earned a Master of Music degree in composition at the University of Idaho, and in 2007, a PhD in composition at the University of Oregon.
Commissions have included chamber, choral, liturgical, orchestral, and band works. His music reflects an interest in sacred traditions of all cultures, and his primary influences aren't composers or musicians, but poets, playwrights, and sculptures. Bill works to achieve space in his music, preferring to work as efficiently as possible with his tonal and rhythmic material; and at the core of all of his works, is a commitment to melodic content.
Bill is an Instructor of Music at Western Oregon University where he teaches composition privately. At Western he has also taught courses in music theory, music history, and currently, The Music of Broadway.
Recordings |