William Gorton, Tenor, has performed extensively in venues on the West Coast and sung numerous engagements around the USA and Europe. A solid and versatile singer, he has appeared with Opera Pacific, Festival Opera, Sacramento Opera, Rogue Opera, Pacific Repertory Opera, Orchestra X of Houston, Opera Santa Barbara, the Stockton Symphony in Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings, the Opera Center of the San Francisco Opera, among others, and has recorded with the Russian National Orchestra.

William’s interpretive artistry has been enjoyed by audiences of the San Francisco Opera Guild and the San Francisco Opera Center in gala concerts, as well as of the Hampton Recital Foundation in Schumann’s Dichterliebe and songs of Richard Strauss. Handel’s Messiah performances such as the nationally acclaimed festival at Bethany College in Kansas, which included Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, were broadcast statewide. Oratorio credits include Verdi and Mozart’s Requiems and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. William is the recipient of several awards, including Finalist in the National Opera Association competition and Merola Opera Program auditions, and Apprentice Artist with the Santa Fe Opera. He recently sang the role of Don Jose in Carmen with Stockton Opera and the Bear Valley Music Festival, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Bay Shore Lyric Opera, and Riccardo / Gustavo in San Francisco Lyric Opera's production of Un Ballo in Maschera. 

William is also a skilled conductor and composer. Before moving to Virginia, he was Choirmaster and accompanist at St. Michael & All Angels Church in Concord, California. He currently serves as Director of Music at Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church in Ashland, Virginia, where he leads a vibrant and growing music program. His most recent endeavor has been the creation of the Central Virginia Masterworks Chorale, a 501(c)(3) organization which performs concerts of large works with orchestra twice yearly in the Richmond region. William’s compositions include numerous art songs for voice and piano as well as choral anthems and church service pieces.