Bill Lawing began teaching at Davidson College, his alma mater, in 1976. His academic life at Davidson spanned 46 years, ending in the spring of 2022. As the director of the Jazz Ensemble, he developed a program with high musical standards, and he exposed his students to some of the most revered jazz musicians of our generation, including Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Delfeayo Marsalis, and Regina Carter. He developed a host of new courses, the last of which, Traditional Music of the Southern Appalachians, has spawned its own concert series which he created and continues to produce. He regularly performed on campus, in recitals, in the Davidson College Symphony Orchestra, and as a concerto soloist.
Two years after arriving at Davidson he formed Carolina Brass with four principal members of the Charlotte Symphony. The quintet’s first decade was highlighted by a spectacular recording, by the first published recording of John Rutter’s Gloria, and by the commissioning of several original works. As his original colleagues have moved on to other pursuits, he was privileged to continue to perform with their Charlotte Symphony successors, retiring from the quintet in November, 2022.
His performing career away from Davidson has included concerts in 13 countries with his wife, concert pianist Cynthia Lawing, and has included many concerto appearances in the US and abroad. Over his career, he has had the privilege to perform under the batons of Loren Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Aaron Copland; perform symphonic concerts with Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Sarah Vaughan, Bernadette Peters, Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin and Bela Fleck; and participate in jazz clinics with Joe Morello, Doc Severinsen, and Clark Terry. Today, he is an active member of the Western Piedmont Symphony, and most recently he was honored to join the cornet section of the North Carolina Brass Band.
Apart from music, his loves are gardening, golf, and his adorable grandchildren (six so far, all of whom live very close). As a volunteer at The Nest Academy and Catholic Charities in Charlotte, he mentors and guides many high-school refugees, helping them achieve their dream of attending college. To date, students from nine countries on four continents have successfully entered college with his assistance, with six starting school in the fall of 2023.
Two years after arriving at Davidson he formed Carolina Brass with four principal members of the Charlotte Symphony. The quintet’s first decade was highlighted by a spectacular recording, by the first published recording of John Rutter’s Gloria, and by the commissioning of several original works. As his original colleagues have moved on to other pursuits, he was privileged to continue to perform with their Charlotte Symphony successors, retiring from the quintet in November, 2022.
His performing career away from Davidson has included concerts in 13 countries with his wife, concert pianist Cynthia Lawing, and has included many concerto appearances in the US and abroad. Over his career, he has had the privilege to perform under the batons of Loren Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Aaron Copland; perform symphonic concerts with Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, Sarah Vaughan, Bernadette Peters, Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin and Bela Fleck; and participate in jazz clinics with Joe Morello, Doc Severinsen, and Clark Terry. Today, he is an active member of the Western Piedmont Symphony, and most recently he was honored to join the cornet section of the North Carolina Brass Band.
Apart from music, his loves are gardening, golf, and his adorable grandchildren (six so far, all of whom live very close). As a volunteer at The Nest Academy and Catholic Charities in Charlotte, he mentors and guides many high-school refugees, helping them achieve their dream of attending college. To date, students from nine countries on four continents have successfully entered college with his assistance, with six starting school in the fall of 2023.
