William Kirkley

About:

William Kirkley has taught clarinet at Gordon College since 1992, after overseeing clarinet studios at Southeast Louisiana State University and Eastfield Junior College. Mr. Kirkley is a founding (and current) member of the board of directors of the Lexington Symphony; he is the principal clarinetist and twice has been a featured soloist. Mr. Kirkley is also the principal clarinetist for the Cape Ann Symphony, Boston Musica Viva and the Gordon Symphony.

Additionally, he is a member of the Orchestra of Indian Hill, and is a substitute clarinetist for the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops. He has interacted and played with many other professional artists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Owen Young.

The Boston Globe has called Mr. Kirkley’s playing “emotional, committed, and intensely exciting.”  He has performed with the Boston Symphony, the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, Dallas Lyric Opera, Tulsa Philharmonic, the Bolshoi Ballet, the Santa Fe Opera, and the Chicago Civic Orchestra under Sir Georg Solti. He has also taught on the music faculties of UMASS Boston, Harvard University and Brandeis University.