William Short

William Short was appointed Principal Bassoon of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in 2012. He previously served in the same capacity with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and has also performed with the Houston and Detroit Symphonies and the Philadelphia Orchestra. William has performed as soloist with the Vermont and Delaware Symphonies, the New York Classical Players, and the Strings Festival Orchestra. He is a founding member of the Gotham Wind Quintet and is a regular performer with Camerata Pacifica and Dolce Suono chamber music series.

A dedicated teacher, William serves on the faculties of The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and Temple University, and is a Valade Fellow at Interlochen Arts Camp. In addition, he is a Visiting Faculty member at The Tianjin Juilliard School and has held visiting guest positions at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has presented classes at colleges and conservatories around the world and at conferences of the International Double Reed Society, for which he served as a board member from 2017-2021.

William has performed and taught at the Lake Champlain, Lake Tahoe, Mostly Mozart, Stellenbosch (South Africa), Strings, and Twickenham Festivals. An occasional arranger, editor, and composer, his works have been published by the Theodore Presser Company and TrevCo-Varner Music.

Committed to forging connections between audiences and performers, William's articles on the subject have been lauded not only by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, but also by noted arts consultant Drew McManus and prolific cultural commentator Norman Lebrecht.

William received his Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Daniel Matsukawa and Bernard Garfield, and his Master of Music at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he studied with Benjamin Kamins. He attended festivals including the Music Academy of the West, Pacific Music Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, and the Verbier Festival. Additional major teachers have included Jeanine Attaway, Kristin Wolfe Jensen, and William Lewis.

No. 49: Norma: “Meco all'altar di Venere”/“Dell'aura tua profetica”/“Mira, o Norma”/“Si, fino all'ore estreme”

“Meco all'altar di Venere”

Kamins: This recording of Franco Corelli is a definitive recording of the tenor voice.

Short: Even though Jancourt only excerpts the opening two bars of the clarinet part in this Melody, it's still well worth listening to Luciano Pavarotti's rendition of this aria. The ease and richness of his voice is remarkable.

“Dell'aura tua profetica”

Kamins: The chorus starts at 5:07. I had to include this recording of the NBC Orchestra and Chorus for the fantastic rhythm coming from Arturo Toscanini on the podium.

Short: Despite the marchlike feel to this melody, it's still sung with a very horizontal, melodic quality by the Coro della RAI. Notice, also, that the accompaniment, while active, nevertheless maintains a light, almost laughing quality.

“Mira, o Norma”

Kamins: This recording features beautiful blend and matching of voices between Montserrat Caballé and Fiorenza Cossotto. I always love to listen to live performances, even with their imperfections, as the music has an edge of danger. This isn't a life to get into if you are looking for comfort!

Short: The excerpt in question begins at 3:27. I love how the two singers in this performance build on, and contrast with, one another: Marilyn Horne starting the duet with a beautiful, simple sostenuto, and Joan Sutherland offering a more gestural take.

“Si, fino all'ore estreme”

Kamins: [Included in recording with “Mira, o Norma” above]

Short: Mirella Freni and Renata Scotto, two operatic giants, achieve a spectacular blend without sacrificing the individual beauty and character of their respective parts—they match each other wonderfully without losing commitment to their individual conceptions.