Bassoonist and Contrabassoonist, William Hestand, is the former Second Bassoonist of The Cleveland Orchestra and is currently an Associate Musician with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He performs frequently with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, New York Philharmonic, American Ballet Theater, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Riverside Symphony, and the Albany Symphony where he has played Principal Bassoon since 2019. In addition to a rich orchestral career William has performed chamber music and solo recitals in the U.S. and abroad, including performances at the Salzburg Music Festival, Lancaster Festival, Skaneateles Festival, and concerts in the Netherlands, Dominican Republic, and at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.
Mr. Hestand has also recorded for numerous television and motion picture soundtracks, including Joker which won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2019. He also can be heard on many Live from Lincoln Center broadcasts with the Metropolitan Opera including the Grammy nominated performance of Der Rosenkavalier.
William has frequently taught as a guest professor at New York University and has held reed making classes and masterclasses at University of Massachusetts, Manhattan School of Music, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
