William Barton (musician)
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William Barton is an Australian aboriginal didgeridoo player. He was born in Mount Isa, Queensland and learned to play from his uncle, an elder of the Wannyi, Lardil and Kalkadunga tribes of Western Queensland.
William has appeared at music festivals around the world and with symphony orchestras and has also recorded a number of orchestral works. William is Australia’s first didgeridoo artist in residence with the Queensland Orchestra. Recent Highlights for 2005 include performing at the 90th Anniversary Gallipoli at Anzac Cove, Turkey and debut concerts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Festival in London and Metropolitan Finalist for the Suncorp Young Queenslander of the Year Award.
He also featured in Peter Sculthorpe’s Requiem, a major work for orchestra, chorus and didgeridoo, which premiered the 2004 Adelaide Festival with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Adelaide Voices conducted by Richard Mills and was recently premiered in the UK at the Lichfield Festival with The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham's acclaimed choir Ex Cathedra, conducted by Jeffrey Skidmore. In May 2004 ABC Classics released “Songs Of Sea and Sky” an Album of works by Peter Sculthorpe revised for didgeridoo and orchestra. Performed by William Barton and the Queensland Orchestra conducted by Michael Christie This album was nominated for “Best Classical Album” at the 2004 ARIA Awards.
