Alumni Spotlight: William Anderson ’87 MM
William Anderson is a Boston-based luthier and owner of Anderson Acoustic Guitars. He has performed with numerous orchestras and chamber groups throughout the New England area playing oboe and English horn, and has been a part of several international symphonies including the Guadalajara Philharmonic, New World Symphony, and Central City Opera. He is a veteran who served in the United States Air Force Band for four years playing oboe. More recently in his career, William returned to school to become a luthier, specializing in building steel-string acoustic guitars in both the Boston and Florida areas. He is also a self-taught guitarist and singer/songwriter.
Why did you choose NEC?
In high school, I was a Preparatory School student at NEC. I performed with the Mass Youth Wind Ensemble, which toured in France, and was a member of the NEC Youth Chamber Orchestra under the tutelage of Rachael Worby. I also took lessons in the extension division for composition. These experiences made a lasting impression that drove me to further pursue my education at NEC.
What have you been up to since graduating from NEC? What projects have you been working on? Do you have any goals you are looking to accomplish?
After graduating, I traveled around Boston, Portland, Nashua, and other parts of New England as Principal Oboe, playing English Horn, and as a soloist with several orchestras and chamber groups. I spent a short period of time with the Guadalajara Philharmonic before attending the United States International University in San Diego as a chamber music student. I then won an oboe position with the New World Symphony in Miami, playing alongside BSO Oboist Keisuke Wakao. From there I came back to Boston and worked as a Church Organ Restoration Specialist and a Guitar Builder at Parker Guitars in Wilmington, MA.
I later scored another oboe position with the premiere United States Air Force Band at the USAF Academy, where I served for four years. I went on to become Principal Oboe with the Central City Opera under NEC's own John Moriarty ’52, ’92 hon. DM! I decided to move east, where I became Second Oboe with the Sarasota Orchestra as well as Principal Substitute with The Florida Orchestra and Orlando Phil. My next adventure brought me to Michigan where I performed as Principal Oboe with the Flint, Ann Arbor, Saginaw, and Toledo Symphonies. More recently, I returned to school to become a luthier, building steel-string acoustic guitars. I’ve also taught myself to play guitar and become a singer/songwriter. It's been a busy life!
What are some of your favorite memories from your time at NEC?
Some of my favorite memories were my interactions with Frank L. Battisti, who kept rehearsal time schedules to the minute. I also enjoyed performing as Principal Oboe in Zelensky octets and Mozart octets at the Isabelle Stewart Gardner Museum. Performing solo English Horn next to Avery Brooks, the first African-American starship captain, in Schumann's Manfred which was narrated by Boston's Robert Lurtsema of WGBH, is another memory I will always cherish.
Share a story about one of your favorite faculty or studio instructors.
A few years after finishing my degree, I continued working on audition material with my studio instructor, Larry Thorstenberg. Larry retired to San Francisco and was always happy to meet without expectation of payment or a set schedule. He once shared with me, reflecting on his career, which he found quite stressful: "I didn’t have to be that unhappy. I could’ve managed the stress better and enjoyed what I was doing." It was a lesson in the toll a career can take, and the mental and emotional resilience needed not just to survive, but to truly appreciate your accomplishments.
How have your NEC experiences shaped your artistic approach?
NEC was a proving ground of musical development and opportunity. Criticism itself was a lesson, fundamental to classical music, and I learned how to accept it constructively. However, mastering this lesson took much longer to learn than just my time at school. I learned that encouragement and positive input go much further in building an artist than "tough love" or outright discouragement. I’ve learned that people who get along and enjoy their jobs live a much happier life than those who argue, fight, or "compete" in unhealthy ways. Musically, I found that you have the power to determine what your standards are, and how to support and maintain them. Trust the people you trust, and take the rest with a large grain of salt!
Share any other stories about what has inspired you at NEC and beyond.
When I was a student, joining a military band was considered "failing" by most young, classical musicians. The USAF Band came to NEC while I was there, and to be honest, it was a bit uncomfortable. These were professional musicians who had "real" lives, meaning children and responsibilities beyond music, which is inconceivable when you are striving for a high standard of artistic excellence. I hesitated to audition at first because as an orchestral musician, I viewed joining a band as underachieving. I followed my heart, auditioned, and won. It was an incredible experience to perform alongside musicians from diverse genres—jazz, rock, classical, commercial, and beyond—at such high levels of skill. Touring and concerts were always exciting and rewarding. If the band hadn’t come to NEC, I wouldn’t have been able to explore all the possible career opportunities available to me. Now, joining the USAF Band is far more common. School is a great place to start, but you have to prepare for life beyond school and think outside of any box. It's YOUR life!
Do you have any advice for young musicians/current NEC students?
Be your own critic in an honest and dispassionate way. Don't get down on yourself, and give yourself a break physically and mentally. Whatever your goals and education are, you can apply what you’ve learned in ways you might not have imagined while you are studying. Be open to change, be flexible, and don't be narrow as an artist or person. Don't limit yourself to other people's judgements (or your own) about what you can and cannot achieve.
Learn More About William:
Current Job: Self-Employed Luthier and Musician; Veteran
Major: Oboe Performance
Degree: Master of Music
Class Year: 1987
Instrument: Oboe; English Horn
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