Composer, teacher and conductor William A. Fletcher can trace his fascination with music to a specific event: a free concert given by a then-new duo, Simon and Garfunkel, when he was 12 years old. He took up guitar that very week, and joyfully played it all day, everyday for the next 15 years (not daily anymore, alas…)
He holds degrees in Choral Music Education and in Music Theory and Composition from the University of New Hampshire, where he studied conducting with Cleveland Howard and Stanley Hettinger. He has recently retired, after 37 years, from the faculty of St. Paul’s School, where, in addition to his duties as Wind Ensemble director and Choirmaster for 30 years, he taught voice, composition and music theory. He has held the position of vocal department chair of the Concord Community Music School, where he also coached the Scholarship Vocal Ensemble and where he currently teaches composition. In addition, he has taught public schools in both Weston, Ct. and Horseheads, N.Y.
He is a frequent adjudicator and guest conductor of music festivals throughout New England, including the 1987 and 1990 N.H. Jazz All-State Choirs. As music director of the Concord Chorale, a 75 voice auditioned community chorus, he has led tours of France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Canada and Czechoslovakia. Additionally, he was a founding member and pandorist with The Goodmorrow Consort, a group which performed Elizabethan broken consort music on period instruments.
Mr. Fletcher has produced recordings for Steve Schuch, The Night Heron Consort, Wellspring, femme m’amie, Peggo & Paul, St. Paul's School, Lucy Chapin, Johnny Nicholson, and soprano Holly Outwin-Tepe.
A respected composer, his compositions for voice and piano have been performed throughout the United States, and has received commissions from the Christa MacAuliffe Planetarium, The Concord Community Music School, The Concord Chorale, The Infinities Ensemble, the Encounters Trio and St. Paul's School as well as from performers Peggo Horstmann Hodes, Mark Andrew Cleveland, Kathleen Lyon-Pingree, Stephanie Ratté Jenkins, Gregg Pauley and Jean Benson.
An ardent supporter of new music, he has conducted the premieres of works by Michael Annicchiarico, Gwyneth Walker, Augusta Read Thomas, James Grant, Robert Powell, Marilyn Ziffrin, Petr Reznícek and Henryk Górecki among others.
In addition to his musical activities, he is also known as a portrait painter and graphic/web designer. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife, Margaret.
And sometimes, he still plays guitar, with The Fletchtones.