Alastair Willis
Program: Shakespeare and the Silk Road
Alastair Willis conducted the RSO on May 14, 2022. Listen to his pre-concert lecture, view the program book, and complete the post-concert survey on the Digital Stage.
Listen to a conversation with Alastair and Podcast Host Phil Davidson (approximately 21 minutes):
Listen to Alastair speak at SoundBites, a live luncheon event with RSO principal trumpet Mark Baldin (approximately 57 minutes):
Biography
Grammy nominated conductor Alastair Willis is currently the Music Director of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Symphonia Boca Raton. In past seasons, Alastair has guest conducted orchestras around the world including the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Mexico City Philharmonic, Orquestra Sinfonica de Rio de Janeiro, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchestra Berlin, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, China National Orchestra (Beijing), and Silk Road Ensemble (with Yo-Yo Ma) among others. His recording of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortileges with Nashville Symphony and Opera for Naxos was Grammy nominated for Best Classical Album in 2009.
Two seasons ago (there weren’t many conducting opportunities last year due to Covid…) Alastair was re-engaged by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Pacific Northwest Ballet, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, La Porte County Symphony, Salute to Vienna, and The Symphonia Boca Raton. This season he returns to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Salute to Vienna, and The Symphonia Boca Raton.
Previous positions include Music Director of the Illinois Symphony, Principal Guest Conductor with the Florida Orchestra’s Coffee Concert series, Associate Conductor of the Seattle Symphony, Assistant Conductor with the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestras, and Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Born in Acton, Massachusetts, Alastair lived with his family in Moscow for five years before settling in Surrey, England. He received his bachelor’s degree with honors from England’s Bristol University, an Education degree from Kingston University, and a Master of Music from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He currently resides in South Bend, Indiana, with his wife and daughter.
