Bass-baritone William Socolof, a native of White Plains, New York, was awarded First Prize in the 2020 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. William began his musical career as a cellist, but had always been drawn to singing, particularly musical theatre, and he began singing classically at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan at age 16. Since then, William has performed with some of the country’s most prestigious classical institutions, in repertoire ranging from chamber music and art song to musical theatre and opera.

As a vocal fellow at the Tanglewood Music Festival in 2017-18, William appeared in Sondheim on Sondheim with the Boston Pops, an experience that he says connected to his early love of musical theatre. While at Tanglewood in 2017 he premiered Nico Muhly’s Good Night in Emanuel Ax’s “Schubert’s Summer Journey” with Mr. Ax, and in 2018 he was a soloist in the premiere of Michael Gandolfi’s In America with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.

Under the baton of Andris Nelsons, William made his debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra as a soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. He has also been presented as a feature soloist with The Juilliard Chamber Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall, singing Mozart’s Concert Aria Per questa bella mano, K 162. On the operatic stage, William has appeared as Daniel Webster in The Mother of Us All in collaboration with MetLiveArts and the New York Philharmonic, and as Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte at The Juilliard School.

William has recently been presented in recital and chamber music performances at Merkin Concert Hall, the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, Ithaca College, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. He has been a featured soloist with the Oratorio Society of New York and the Alabama Symphony, among others. He was a participant at the Marlboro Music Festival in 2019 and 2021 and the Merola Opera Program during the summer of 2022.

During the 2022-23 season William will make recital and chamber music appearances with Ringwood Friends of Music, the Morgan Library & Museum, and Merkin Hall as part of the inaugural YCA on Tour chamber music ensemble. He will perform as featured soloist with Princeton Pro Musica and Choral Artists of Sarasota. As part of Young Concert Artists’ special season finale performance at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall in May 2023, William will perform alongside acclaimed harpsichordist and YCA alum, Anthony Newman in a performance of Bach’s cantata Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind. 

At the YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, William was awarded the Alexander Kasza-Kasser Concert Prize, which provides underwriting support for the Kennedy Center debut of a First Prize Winner, established by the Honorable Mary V. Mochary, as well as concert prizes at the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival and the University of Florida Performing Arts.

William holds a BM and MM from The Juilliard School, where he also recently completed an Artist Diploma in Opera Studies with William Burden.

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YCA represents bass-baritone William Socolof for worldwide engagements. Please contact us for more information.