William Murphy

William Murphy bio

William A. Murphy, completed his second year doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Vocal Coaching and Accompanying with a cognate in Choral Conducting.  At UIUC, he serves as a Teaching Assistant for Lyric Theatre @ Illinois.  He is also the Choirmaster at Emmanual Memorial Episcopal Church in Champaign.  

Before moving to Illinois,  he served as Staff Accompanist at Morehead State University.  While at MSU, he has worked with many students preparing for degree recitals, ensemble concerts, opera and musicals productions.  Performances have been heard at the 2017 KMEA, 2018 North American Saxophone Alliance, 2019 Flute Society of Kentucky, the 2019 International Trombone Festival and most recently, the 2021 Falcone International Tuba Euphonium Festival (virtual).  He can be heard as a performer on the debut album “Bootleg” with bass trombonist Russ Zokaites (recorded in 2020 on the Centaur Records label).  Other artist collaborations include soprano Marlayna Maynard, Nashville, TN; Soprano Alexandra LoBianco, Metropolitan Opera Artist; clarinetist Rob Patterson, Boston University; and several choral clinicians.  He was also the Vocal Arts pianist for the West Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts 2020-2023.

From  2010 to 2023, he was the Organist at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Huntington. he received the Colleague Certificate from the American Guild of Organists in 2013.  During this time he was the pianist/organist for the West Virginia Symphony Chorus in Charleston for eight years. He is a 2012 graduate of Marshall University with a Master of Arts in Performance (Piano).  He received a Bachelor’s of Music in 2009 in Voice Performance with Cum Laude honors from Morehead State University.  He participated as a student and accompanist for the Kentucky Institute for International Studies program in Salzburg, Austria (Summers 2007 and 2009).