William Coleman

William Coleman is a Professor and Chair of Viola at the Mozarteum University Salzburg. He serves as Head of Viola Studies, Department of String Studies, and Pre-College division. A renowned violist, he is a member of the Berlin Kuss Quartet, which has won an Opus Klassik Award and released recordings with Sony/BMG, Onyx, and ECM. His career spans solo performances, chamber music collaborations, and interdisciplinary projects blending music with dance and AI.

Education: Studied with Thomas Riebl at the Mozarteum Salzburg and Kim Kashkashian at the New England Conservatory (NEC), Boston. He has conducted masterclasses globally at institutions including Juilliard, Hanns Eisler School of Music, and Royal Academy of Music.

Research & Performance: Specializes in expanding musical boundaries through commissions of new works. Notable collaborations include recordings on the Stradivari 'Paganini Quartet' instruments and performances at festivals like Salzburg, Verbier, and Edinburgh. He regularly curates innovative programs integrating technology (e.g., AI-based compositions).

Awards: Opus Klassik Award (2018) for the Kuss Quartet's Beethoven cycle. Recognized as a Pirastro Artist, performing exclusively on Evah Pirazzi Gold and Oliv strings.

Teaching: Served as jury member for major competitions (Tokyo, Tertis, Geneva). Maintains a 25-year association with the International Musicians’ Seminar in Prussia Cove and Marlboro Festival. Recently took over Kim Kashkashian's class at NEC for three months.