ARTISTIC PROFILE

Hailed by Klassik begeisert as a "master of intense sound waves with a pioneering spirit," William Garfield Walker is a trailblazing young American conductor swiftly making his mark on the international stage.

Dubbed a "Modern Day Maestro" by the Northside Sun, Walker is a two time recipient of the prestigious Sir Georg Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Award in 2022 and 2023. He currently serves as the Chief Conductor of the innovative Nova Orchester Wien (NOW!). Since 2021 Walker and NOW! have captivated audiences with works by Mahler, Sibelius, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich in performances at the Wiener Musikverein and Konzerthaus. They have also performed a digital concert for the 2020 G20 economic forum and have collaborated with the Austrian Consulate in Milan as well as the US Embassy in Vienna and have performed for dignataries from many countries. Under Walker's baton, NOW! has introduced Austrian premieres of works by composers such as William Grant Still, Lili Boulanger, Jennifer Higdon, Florence Price and Germaine Tailleferre. In the 2023-2024 season Walker will join the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center for the Solti Foundation US Elizabeth Buccheri Residency as the Solti Conducting Fellow.

"Walker hits the spot in the Adagio. It must have been this intensity that Sergiu Celibidache once spoke of when he said that music is basically nothing but tension and resolution. That is basically where the secret of the Mahler sound lies.” - Klassik Begeisert

His accolades also include the distinguished Ansbacher Conducting Fellowship at the Salzburg Festival in 2021 as well as a prize at the 2022 Only Stage International Conducting Competition. In March 2020, both the Mississippi House of Representatives and Mississippi Senate jointly presented Walker with a bipartisan Resolution, honoring his musical achievements. Additionally, Walker was awarded the Bruno Walter Memorial Conducting Scholarship in 2017.

“With his performance of the 3rd Symphony (Prokofiev), composed around 1928, William Garfield Walker convinces and proves once again that despite all the obstacles - COVID-19 seems to have struck - he has a strong presence in the romantic repertoire.”-Klassik begeisert

Previously he served as Principal Conductor of the the Royal College of Music Oratorio Society and was Artistic Director and conductor of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s Premier Orchestral Institute Master Camerata. He has been an assistant conductor with the English Touring Opera for an Oliver Award-winning production of Don Giovanni; the Chicago Opera Theater with Frederica von Stade in Ricky Ian Gordon’s "A Coffin in Egypt” and assisted high profile opera performances such as Die Fledermaus (J. Strauss) and Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck) at the Royal College of Music, London where he also was the solo cellist of the opera orchestra. He has also been a rehearsal conductor in the opera department at the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna with repertoire including Ariadne, Elektra (R. Strauss), The Grand Macabre (Ligeti), and The Cunning Little Vixen (Janacek).

“Mahler sounds dignified in his interpretation, Bernstein very dynamic….”- Klassik begeisert

Walker has worked with orchestras in both Europe and the United States including the Berlin Sinfonietta, Bratislava Symphony Orchestra, Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Janacek Philharmonic Ostrava, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Reino de Aragon, Sofia Philharmonic, Symphony Orchestra of the Balearic Islands, Symphony of the America’s, and Bacau Philharmonic Orchestra.

“William Garfield Walker brings a wealth of knowledge gleaned from international stages and the very streets of Vienna….” -MSO Tempo

Walker attended masterclasses with Vladimir Fedoeseyev, Michail Jurowski, Neeme Jarvi, Paavo Jarvi, Krystian Jarvi, Cristian Măcelaru, Jorma Panula, Vassily Sinaisky, and Leonard Slatkin. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Music, London where he studied cello with Alexander Boyarsky and conducting with Michael Rosewell, and the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna where he studied conducting with Andreas Stoehr. During the initial COVID-19 lockdowns in tandem with founding the Nova Orchester Wien, Walker pursued additional academic studies at Harvard.

“William Garfield Walker conducts Piotr Tchaikovsky's works smoothly and with panache, sounding as if he fully understands the composer's Slavic soul.” -Klassik begeisert

A versatile musician, William Garfield Walker, is also a composer published by Universal Edition, and boasts a diverse range of works that encompass solo instruments, large symphony orchestras, and dance. His compositions have been performed on the stages of prestigious venues such as the Wiener Musikverein, Wiener Konzerthaus, and the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona. His compositions and arrangements have also been broadcasted national radio and television stations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East and have been performed by ensembles such as the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and the Nova Orchester Wien and soprano Kristin Lewis. In collaboration with the Contemporary Dance Ensemble and Art Alive, Walker has crafted music for various performances across Europe, including at the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, and the Sarajevo Ballet Festival.

Before embarking on his conducting career, Walker was an accomplished cellist who frequently performed as a chamber musician and soloist in recitals and in front of orchestras. He joined the cello section of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra at the age of 16. He later had the opportunity to perform under renowned conductors such as Riccardo Muti and Vladimir Jurowski. He studied with Richard Hirschl of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and participated in masterclasses with cellists Natalia Gutman and Yo-Yo Ma.

“He leads the orchestra with expressive command…A rousing standing ovation greets the finish....” -Northside Sun

Walker's career has been generously supported by key organizations such as the John N. Palmer Foundation, Talent Unlimited UK, and The National Alliance for Audition Support (NAAS), a collaborative initiative including The Sphinx Organization, the New World Symphony, and the League of American Orchestras.

Updated April 2023