Hometown:
Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
Education:
University of Michigan, SMTD – MMus Violin performance, Graduate Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship and Leadership, 2022
McGill University, BMus Violin performance, minor in Business Management, 2019
Bio:
Canadian violinist William Thain is an emerging concertmaster and teacher, having just finished his first season as concertmaster of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and guest concertmaster of the Adrian Symphony. William completed his master’s degree studying with Danielle Belen at the University of Michigan, where he now teaches as a member of the pre-college faculty. William co-founded Ensemble Urbain, a chamber orchestra based in Montréal (Canada) that performs works by underrepresented composers.
What inspired you to become a musician?
I saw the Suzuki violin concert at my school when I was 5 and begged my mom to let me start violin lessons. The teacher almost didn't take me because according to her, I was too old!
Name three of your favorite composers:
Brahms, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Sibelius, Clarice Assad, Carlos Simon, Paul Wiancko
What is an interesting fact about you and/or your instrument?
I'm friends with a three-legged deer.
When taking a break from music-making, what is your favorite thing to do?
I love to cook, host a dinner party with the main dish as the theme, and just spend quality time with quality people.
Why did you choose the NRO?
I had such a fantastic experience at NRO last year that I couldn't help but say yes to another summer here in Breckenridge. NRO challenged me to grow as an orchestral player, a leader, and as a soloist, and I'm excited to see what more there is to learn!