
Bill Tyler, a native of western New York, joined the Fayetteville Symphony as third horn in 2011. He attended the University of Memphis for undergraduate work and the University of Wyoming for graduate school, and was a concerto contest winner at both schools. His primary horn instructors were Richard Dolph (Memphis) and William Stacy (Wyoming), both excellent instructors who did their best, knowing that the odds were stacked against them in trying to teach Bill the basics of horn playing. They were relieved (and somewhat surprised) when he actually graduated from both schools.
Past performing experience includes the Cheyenne Symphony, Abilene (TX) Philharmonic, the Charlotte Civic Orchestra and the occasional opera at Central Piedmont Community College. He has participated in workshops with Michael Thompson, Richard Watkins, David Ohanian, Skip Snead, Barry Tuckwell and Bruce Moore, and each one would very much appreciate not being reminded of it.
Bill retired from the FAA in 2010, after working for over 25 years as an air traffic controller. His spare time is now spent on catching up on yard work (after years of neglect), trying to appear to be useful around the house, putting off cleaning out the garage (after many years of neglect), playing the horn all over North and South Carolina, working out at the gym (after even more years of neglect) and finding creative ways of goofing off. He is also a member of the Greenville (SC) Symphony and the Carolina Philharmonic. He can also be found occasionally bothering performing with the Winston Salem Symphony, Hendersonville Symphony, Western Piedmont Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, South Carolina Philharmonic, Salisbury Symphony – and basically any other group that will put up with him.