William Cole

Billy was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music with Duncan McTier and Graham Mitchell, graduating in 2012 with first-class honours. During his time at the Academy, he was also a Leverhulme scholar in his final year. After graduating, he began to work with some of the top symphony orchestras in the UK.

In 2015, Cole was appointed as Principal Double Bass in the Ulster Orchestra. He worked as as Guest Principal in The Hallé, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra and Singapore Symphony Orchestra. He is now the Principal Double Bass of The Hallé.

He has also coached the double bass section of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and was made an Associate at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 2018.

Aside from playing in symphony orchestras, Cole is a keen enthusiast for both chamber music, with performances in major venues such as Wigmore Hall. He is also a keen advocate of contemporary music, having had numerous works written for him to premiere.