51ÉçÇø

William Talley is the Director of Bands at 51ÉçÇø, where he directs the wind symphony and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting and wind literature.  Dr. Talley received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he served as the associate director of the Eastman Wind Orchestra and the assistant director of the Eastman Wind Ensemble.  In addition to his responsibilities with these ensembles at Eastman, Dr. Talley taught undergraduate conducting and served as the assistant director of the Eastman Harmonie.  He also regularly conducted for a variety of ensembles at Eastman, including OSSIA’s new music ensembles and the Graduate Composer’s Sinfonietta.  While a student at Eastman, Dr. Talley was a recipient of the Frederick Fennell Conducting Fellowship, the Walter Hagen Conducting Prize, and was the first recipient of the newly established Donald and Polly Hunsberger Endowed Conducting Scholarship. While in residence at Eastman, Dr. Talley concurrently served as the wind ensemble director at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY.

Prior to attending Eastman and receiving a Master of Music degree in conducting from the University of South Carolina, Dr. Talley taught for 15 years in the Asheville City Schools district in Asheville, NC. In his time as a band director Dr. Talley served as the president of the Western North Carolina Bandmasters' Association, and he also received the Award of Excellence from that organization. He was the recipient of many awards and recognitions in teaching during his tenure at Asheville High School, including the WLOS 'Thanks to Teachers' award, the WYFF 'Golden Apple' award, and Asheville High School and Asheville City Schools Teacher of the Year for the 2013-2014 school year.  Dr. Talley is a National Board-certified teacher, and his high school bands repeatedly earned superior ratings at NC Concert Band Music Performance Adjudication and marching band contests. In 2013, the Asheville High School Marching Band, under his direction, performed for the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Talley has served as a clinician and adjudicator in the Carolinas, Ohio, Georgia and in New York, and he is an active arranger and transcriber of music for wind ensembles.  In 2019, his transcription of Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7 was premiered by the Eastman Wind Ensemble.