William Reece Waag – Conductor
ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA
The Youth Symphony Orchestra is the flagship orchestra of SFYSA, featuring the most advanced young string, woodwind, brass and percussion musicians. The ensemble's repertoire spans orchestral classics through twenty-first century works, as well as a spectrum of unique musical collaborations. YSO has performed with world-renowned artists Mark O’Connor, Guillermo Figueroa, and Bobby McFerrin, and collaborated with the Harlem Quartet, Ying Quartet, Denver School of the Arts, youth symphonies from across the United States, and the Santa Fe Fiesta Melodrama. Students in the YSO regularly work with professional musicians in sectionals, and also play an annual side by side with the Santa Fe Symphony. The YSO typically holds a Fall musical retreat in the New Mexico mountains, and past tours have included the Czech Republic, Germany, Seattle, San Francisco, and Denver.
Target Age Group: Advanced high school students
ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR
William Waag joined SFYSA in August, 2014 as Conductor of the Santa Fe Youth Symphony. A passionate music educator, he also works as a guest clinician and support in the music classrooms across Northern New Mexico. William’s recent guest conducting engagements include the Albuquerque Philharmonic, Seattle Rock Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony, El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestra, Albuquerque Youth Symphony Reading Orchestra, and Honor Orchestras in New Mexico. William has held a variety of conducting and teaching positions ranging from elementary and secondary schools to colleges, public and private institutions, and four states across the western US. He has lead wind ensembles, jazz bands, symphony orchestras, music education courses, music theory, special education, and pre-school music. Above all these, William’s passion is for conducting youth symphonies. Previously with Kittitas Valley Youth Orchestra (Washington), and Anchorage Youth Philharmonic (Alaska), William is so pleased to be guiding the Santa Fe Youth Symphony to creative collaborations and expanding every aspect of the youth symphony experience.
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William received a MM in Orchestral Conducting from Central Washington University, and a BM in Music Education from Boise State University. Originally from Boise, he lived in Seattle, and Anchorage before moving to Santa Fe. A true native of the Pacific Northwest, he loves exploring the mountains in all seasons with ski poles in one hand, and espresso in the other. In his free time, he can be found traveling the New Mexico highways in his 1972 Volkswagen bus.
Contact
Email: william@sfysa.org
Phone: (505) 672-5565, ext. 104
Contact
Email: william@sfysa.org
Phone: (505) 672-5565, ext. 104