William Barto Jones
William Barto Jones has been an Assistant Conductor at New York City Opera since 1990 where he has prepared operatic repertoire from Handel to the standard Mozart, Verdi and Puccini masterpieces, the French operas as well as many of the 20th. century masterpieces including works of Janacek, Die Soldaten of Zimmerman, Britten's Turn of the Screw and numerous contemporary American operas including Little Women of Mark Adamo. He also prepared the scores of countless opera scenes for NYCO's acclaimed VOX public readings of new scores by American composers. He has coached opera for Opera Colorado, Central City Opera, and Cleveland Opera and has worked on numerous productions of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess here in the states and in Europe.
Bill has a Master of Music degree from Louisiana State University where he was recipient of the LSU Distinguished Pianists Award. He became aware of the power of the Alexander Technique when, in his youth, after a summer as a fellowship accompanist in art song at Tanglewood, he was introduced to singing teacher Harold Parker who had developed a way of making music without excessive tension through the Alexander Technique. As he played lessons for Harold, Bill began working out the unnecessary tensions in his own playing and eventually studied voice with Harold as well. Later, Bill began taking private Alexander lessons from Christine Batten and Anne Waxman Bill trained to be an Alexander teacher at ATNYC (Alexander Technique New York City) with acclaimed teacher John Nicholls and with Nanette Walsh and has also studied with Tom Vasilliades. Mr. Jones is certified by The American Society of Alexander Technique.
Since the summer of 2008 Mr. Jones has been giving master classes and teaching Alexander Technique for a highly successful series of workshops for Loveland Opera Theatre in Colorado called Finding Truth in Singing. He has recently been invited to do a workshop at Hollis University in Virginia by a former participant of the Colorado workshop. Bill maintains an active private studio of Alexander students from all walks of life in Manhattan and has taught many pianists and singers. it gives him great pleasure to watch the true person and artist emerge from the veil of tension, to proceed to a place of greater freedom and greater joy in music-making and to greater joy in living.
Bill has a Master of Music degree from Louisiana State University where he was recipient of the LSU Distinguished Pianists Award. He became aware of the power of the Alexander Technique when, in his youth, after a summer as a fellowship accompanist in art song at Tanglewood, he was introduced to singing teacher Harold Parker who had developed a way of making music without excessive tension through the Alexander Technique. As he played lessons for Harold, Bill began working out the unnecessary tensions in his own playing and eventually studied voice with Harold as well. Later, Bill began taking private Alexander lessons from Christine Batten and Anne Waxman Bill trained to be an Alexander teacher at ATNYC (Alexander Technique New York City) with acclaimed teacher John Nicholls and with Nanette Walsh and has also studied with Tom Vasilliades. Mr. Jones is certified by The American Society of Alexander Technique.
Since the summer of 2008 Mr. Jones has been giving master classes and teaching Alexander Technique for a highly successful series of workshops for Loveland Opera Theatre in Colorado called Finding Truth in Singing. He has recently been invited to do a workshop at Hollis University in Virginia by a former participant of the Colorado workshop. Bill maintains an active private studio of Alexander students from all walks of life in Manhattan and has taught many pianists and singers. it gives him great pleasure to watch the true person and artist emerge from the veil of tension, to proceed to a place of greater freedom and greater joy in music-making and to greater joy in living.