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updated May 2005

Omaha Symphony Musician Biographies

~ William Ritchie ~
Assistant Principal Bass

More Biographies Select a Musician Biography Index Amador, Ricardo Fagan, Leslie Fuller, Craig Giles, James Gullen-Stout, Holly Hinkle, Marcia Jones, Richard K. Kia, Rebecca Fagan, Leslie Moriarty, Molly Motycka, Mark Nagosky, Anne Ritchie, Bill Sandene, Karen Snyder, Ross Thomas,Dwight Trussell, Adam Watkins, Lisa Wise, Jay

Bill Recommends These Recordings Miles Davis Kind Of Blue Bach Unaccompanied Cello Suites Performed on Double Bass

William Ritchie, Assistant Principal Bass of the Omaha Symphony since 1983, began his professional career as the orchestra director for the St. Joseph Public Schools in St. Joseph, Michigan, where he was also the first conductor of the Lake Michigan Youth Orchestra. He has been a member of the Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay), Grand Rapids Symphony, and has performed with the Kansas City Symphony. Bill performs regularly with the Detroit Symphony at Orchestra Hall in Detroit, and has joined the DSO on 2 European tours in 1998 & 2001, as well as a tour of Michigan in 2003.

His involvement with music education continues by maintaining a private studio and serving at the state and national levels of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). Bill is the past Chair of ASTA National Solo Competition.

Bill has made presentations at conventions of the Nebraska Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, International Society of Bassists, and ASTA. His articles have appeared in the professional journals of the Double Bassist, American String Teacher (ASTA) , and Bass World (ISB).

An avid chamber music performer and recitalist, he is frequently heard in concerts and clubs with his own jazz quartet. In 1997, Bill performed with the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. During the summer, he performs with the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

He is married to Patty Ritchie, a cellist with the Omaha Symphony and a music educator in the Millard Public Schools. They enjoy their home with two Boy Scout sons, Miles and Drew. [email]

Links (in the order they appear in this article):
Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay)
Grand Rapids Symphony
Kansas City Symphony
Detroit Symphony
American String Teachers Association (ASTA)
Nebraska Music Educators Association
Music Educators National Conference (MENC)
International Society of Bassists (ISB) - Bass World
Double Bassist Magazine
Nebraska Jazz Orchestra
Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland)
Grand Teton Music Festival (Jackson Hole, WY)

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