Bill Kirkley is in demand as an orchestral musician, recitalist, chamber performer and educator, and his playing has been labeled “emotional, committed, and intensely exciting” by the Boston Globe. The Boston Musical Intelligencer called him “a musician in total command of his instrument”.

Bill’s playing has been heard in some of the world’s great concert halls, including Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York, Symphony Hall Boston, Orchestra Hall Chicago, the Royal Albert Hall, King’s Concert Hall, and the Royal Festival Hall in London.

He is principal clarinetist and one of the founders of the Lexington Symphony, principal clarinetist of Cape Ann Symphony, and solo bass clarinetist with the Vista Philharmonic. As a guest clarinetist, he can often

be heard performing with the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, Boston Ballet, and City Ballet in NYC.

An avid proponent of chamber and new music, Bill is the clarinetist for Triage Woodwind Ensemble, bass clarinetist for the Kalliope Reed Quintet, and bass clarinetist for Improbable Beasts, North America’s premier professional bass clarinet ensemble.

As a recording artist, if you play SimCity BuildIt! you’ve heard his playing behind the game. (If you wait long enough and

don’t do anything in the game…)

His recording of Camerata IV, composed for him by Bernard Hoffer, for clarinets was released in 2020, and his bass clarinet playing can be heard on the Grammy Award winning Recording “Conjurer” by Evelyn Glennie and the Albany Symphony. Most recent recordings include Bill’s performance on the children’s album “Because He Was a Weasel”, Songs by Eleanor Aversa, and “Coffee Break”, Triage Woodwind Ensemble’s debut release.

He is on the music faculties of Gordon College, Berklee College of Music, the College of the Holy Cross, and Groton Hill Music.