Bill Whitley

Bill Whitley works with shapes and patterns, correlating musical materials to kinetic sculpture. His music is defined by interlocking, often hypnotic patterns interspersed with passages of intense rhythmic energy, while placing linear content in the foreground.

“Ad emergere, distintiva, è una vena narrativa che si esplica nella studiata interpolazione di incisivi episodi melodici e ritmici, insieme a momenti di sospeso e incantato lirismo.” — Filippo Focosi, Kothodik eZine, October 2017

(A distinctive narrative that emerges is the interpolation of incisive melodic and rhythmic episodes, together with moments of suspended and enchanted lyricism.)

“… exceptional command of melody and compositional form. The music…stands head and shoulders above others of its ilk…” – Textura eZine, August 2017 review of Bill’s I Dream Awake recording.

“Whitley composes music of integrity and sophistication that’s also disarmingly accessible—not an easy combination to achieve, even if he makes it sound easy…” — Textura eZine, August 2017

Whitley’s music has been performed primarily in Italy, Russia, and in the United States by ensembles and performers ranging from symphony orchestra to solo electric guitar. Commissions consist of chamber, choral, vocal, and orchestral works. His most recent work, Meditazioni sulla Dharmachakra, was commissioned by electric guitar and piano duo KUBIN in Milan. His most recent release, THEN ELEPHANT SPEAKS features the title track, written for Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado’s “Crossover Ensemble.”

His recordings have been reviewed in Fanfare Magazine, American Record Guide, Take Effect Reviews, Aural Awakenings, Review Graveyard, Cinemusical, Infodad, and Midwest Record, and have been broadcast live on Radio Horizon 93.9 (Johannesburg, South Africa), CKUW (Winnipeg), WPRB (Princeton NJ), WTUL (New Orleans), HRT (Croatia), KALX (Berkeley), WRUV (Burlington), and WMBR (Cambridge).

Whitley’s music is recorded on Da Vinci Edition, Navona Records, Ravello Records, and Teal Creek Music and his sacred choral works are published by Trinitas Choral Series.