William Long
London-based conductor William Long continues to showcase his “masterful command of challenging, multi-stylistic works” (Opera News) with some of the world’s premier musical institutions. In 2023, he was awarded a Career Assistance Grant from the Solti Foundation. Recent highlights include his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra at The Barbican, conducting Washington National Opera’s production of Carmen, conducting the Centennial Open House Concert for San Francisco Opera and the world premiere of Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones with Opera Theater Saint Louis and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.
This upcoming season, Long returns to The Metropolitan Opera to cover Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones, and San Francisco Opera for Lohengrin and the Opening Gala Concert featuring Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak. Long will also continue his relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra as Cover Conductor where he has assisted in a wide variety of programs since 2020, working with Sir Simon Rattle, Gianandrea Noseda and John Wilson. He also continues his posts as Guest Conductor and Teaching Artist at the prestigious Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California.
Long’s previous work has included covering Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones and Champion at The Metropolitan Opera, and appearances as Cover Conductor at the Kennedy Center for productions of La bohème, Carmen, Eugene Onegin, Candide, and the world premieres of Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up and Terence Blanchard’s Champion. A native of California, he has worked extensively with San Francisco Opera as Assistant Conductor on productions of Arabella, Hänsel und Gretel, Così fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro and the world premiere of John Adams’ Antony and Clepatra.