Bio
Bill Thomas is an Associate Professor of Music and director of the Wind Symphony at York University in Toronto. He is a graduate of the jazz program at Humber College and holds Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Toronto as well as a Master of Arts (composition) from York University.
Prior to his time at York University Bill taught music for twenty-three years at the elementary and high school levels in the York Region District School Board spending most of that time as the head of the music department at Markham District High School where his performing groups won many accolades and awards including the Jazz Report Magazine award for High School Program of the Year.
Bill’s concert band compositions appear on festival lists across Canada and are published by Eighth Note Publications and distributed by Alfred Music. He is a former Drum Corps International adjudicator and started his composing career as an arranger for numerous marching bands and drum & bugle corps in Canada and the United States. Bill a past board member of the Ontario Music Educators Association and was recently made an honorary lifetime member of the Ontario Band Association. In 2021, Bill was inducted into the Musicfest Hall of Fame. He is much in demand as an adjudicator and clinician.