Student Spotlight: William McGregor

“As I started to see an interesting orchestral drive in myself, I thought, this is something so cool that you only get to do once in a lifetime, but I have the chance to do this for the rest of life if I work hard enough. I knew this had to be my goal.”

Double bassist William McGregor shares his story and dives into his experience at Curtis alongside his love for living in Philadelphia, noting the excitement he feels knowing that he studies the roots of all forms of music. The Ann Arbor, Michigan native first entered the Curtis Institute of Music in 2018 and received a Bachelor of Music degree in 2022. He is now pursuing a master’s degree, studying double bass with Harold Hall Robinson and Edgar Meyer as the Shaun F. O’Malley Fellow. 

At age two, Mr. McGregor began playing the double bass (a tiny cello tuned down to sound like the instrument he would ultimately choose). As a child, the first piece of music he gravitated towards was Gioachino Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville. By the time he was in high school, he decided that his love for symphonic repertoire could open up an unconventional career path for him.

Winner of several competitions including the 2017 Stulberg International String Competition, the 2012 and 2016 Juilliard Pre-College Open Competitions, the 2013 Salomé Chamber Orchestra Young Artist Competition, and the 2012 Ensemble 212 Young Artist Competition, Mr. McGregor has performed as a soloist at Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall.

Photos of William McGregor courtesy of Nichole MCH Photography and Jeff Reeder Photography.