William Taber comes from the small coastal settlement of Lake Ferry in the South Wairarapa of New Zealand. Having grown up in a household of musicians, he learned several instruments from a young age. At the age of 15, William was fortunate to begin learning double bass from Victoria Jones through to the start of his study at the New Zealand School of Music (NZSM) in 2019, where he began his studies with Joan Perarnau Garriga.
During his time studying, William has been very fortunate to have lessons from many great bass players including Hiroshi Ikematsu, Phoebe Russell, Max McBride, Alex Henery, Gordon Hill, Matt Cave, and Damien Eckersley. Damien leads William’s tuition through his second year of training at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in 2022.
While studying at the NZSM, William participated in the NZSO’s National Youth Orchestra, and as Section Principal the last two years, receiving the Alex Lindsay NZSO National Youth Orchestra Special Prize in 2020. He was also invited to attend the ADAM Summer School in 2021. William works throughout New Zealand and Australia in many capacities, from projects such as Beyond Area 21 to orchestra, being a regular casual musician with Orchestra Wellington.
William enjoys playing in all settings and regularly works with ensembles of all sizes and instrumentations. He has also been involved in several premiere recordings and performances of works from New Zealand composers.
When not practicing or playing, William enjoys exploring the world of food and wine. As a keen fisherman, he spends time surf casting and cooking his catch of the day.
William’s training at ANAM is supported by ANAM Syndicate donors Cynthia and David O'Keefe, Jerry Koliha and Marlene Krelle, Frank Van Straten AM and Adrian Turley
Photo credit Pia Johnson