William Waldrop

William Waldrop is a New York City-based music director, conductor, pianist, composer, arranger and vocal coach.

Broadway Music Director, Conductor and Pianist, William Waldrop, most recently served as the Associate Conductor for Broadway’s longest running musical, The Phantom of the Opera.Equally comfortable on the podium with the orchestra on stage or conducting from the pit, Maestro Waldrop has been hailed for his ‘dynamic conducting’ and is a frequent guest conductor with orchestras throughout the United States. He is known for being comfortable in a huge range of musical genres and styles—from Broadway and the American Songbook, to Rock & Roll, Swing and Motown, to the unforgettable hits of the Beatles.

Waldrop’s appearances as guest conductor include performances with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, The Florida Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Portland Symphony Orchestra, the Sarasota Orchestra, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Long Beach Symphony, the Boise Philharmonic, the Lexington Philharmonic, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and the Wichita Symphony Orchestra.

Waldrop has been associated with The Phantom of the Opera since 2008. In addition to working with the Broadway company, he currently servesas the Associate Musical Supervisor for the new production in South Korea (2023). In 2019, he was the Associate Musical Supervisor for the International Tour, which launched in Manila, Philippines. In 2018, Waldrop was the Musical Supervisor for a new production in Copenhagen, Denmark. He has also been involved with other productions worldwide, including Oberhausen, Germany (Associate Musical Supervisor), the US National Tour – Music Box (Music Director) and Las Vegas (Assistant Conductor). 

In 2017 Waldrop finished a highly celebrated run as Music Director and Conductor of the Broadway revival of Cats at the Neil Simon Theatre. In 2014, Waldrop completed a 30-city tour as the Music Director and Conductor of the revival of Evita(Broadway National Tour) and conducted the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in Washington, D.C. for the tour’s final performances.  Prior to leading the very successful national tour, he was the Associate Conductor for the Broadway production at the Marquis Theatre starring Ricky Martin, Elena Roger and Michael Cerveris.

In addition to working with other esteemed musical artists such as Michael Lynche and Leona Lewis, Waldrop has collaborated (as a conductor, music director or pianist) with many Broadway and cabaret stars, including Betty Buckley, Rachel York, Christiane Noll, and Klea Blackhurst. Waldrop has also played or conducted in the pits of other Broadway shows including Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, On The Town and Fiddler on The Roof.  He has led chamber ensemble productions of Grey Gardens (Bay Street Theatre), South Pacific (Asolo Repertory Theatre) and A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (Off-Broadway).

As a composer, Waldrop premiered his brand new solo concert Still, and Still Moving: The Music of William Waldrop at New York City’s famed (and former) Metropolitan Room. Waldrop’s music has also been heard in other popular NYC venues such as Birdland, The Laurie Beechman Theatre and New World Stages.

An accomplished vocal coach, Waldrop accompanies and advises many star clients who are currently performing in Broadway productions, national tours and beyond. Also an active educator, he leads regular master classes throughout New York City for such groups as The Growing Studio, Broadway Classroom, Broadway in Motion and Broadway Workshop.

Waldrop’s extensive experience on Broadway and his love for the American Songbook have made him a sought after conductor and one of the brightest new faces on the symphonic pops stage today.

Waldrop received his Master of Music degree from The Peabody Conservatory and his Bachelor of Music degree from The University of Mississippi.

William Waldrop, Vocal Coach

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William is an established and active vocal coach in the New York City area. With vocal performance degrees from The University of Mississippi and The Peabody Conservatory, he has an extensive background in singing and vocal training/pedagogy. As a music director and conductor, he has years of experience helping singers find their best voice for whatever material or role they are working on. His clients have appeared in the Broadway companies of Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Cats and Evita, to name a few.

William's help with my audition prep has been invaluable. He is an expert musician and vocal coach and working with him is a constant pleasure. I highly recommend his help for ensuring your audition pieces are as solid as they can be!
Samantha Hill (Les Misérables –Cosette in the 2014 Broadway revival/The Phantom of the Opera – Christine)

I love working with William. He allows you the freedom to bring your own interpretation to the material then offers his clear, perceptive guidance to lead you to your personal best. I always find his coaching constructive and supportive.
Johnny Stellard (Evita – Ensemble Broadway Revival and Ensemble, u/s Che in National Tour)

William is young, fresh, smart, and is very actively working in the business. His tranquil manner, experience, and the ability to read anything you put in front of him sets the tone for an extremely safe environment to work. His conducting style is precise and unmistakable. I would certainly recommend William for audition preparation, as it has helped me in the room, many times over.
Katharine Heaton (The Phantom of the Opera – current Broadway company)

I have been collaborating with William Waldrop consistently for the past 10 years as a coach, music director, and arranger having prepared me for various cabarets, recordings, and roles I understudied on the national tour of CATS. William is a singer's dream of a composer and coach, fully understanding vocal anatomy and functionality. His infectious energy makes coaching sessions a pure joy and his genuine care helps me tap into the emotions behind the words.
Cara Michelle Fish (Cats National Tour - Jennyanydots, u/s Grizabella, Jellylorum)

I have been lucky enough to work with William Waldrop both as a coach and as a music director. Not only is he wonderfully musical, but he is also intuitive, supportive, patient, and kind. He takes your innate ability and helps you shape and craft your material with nuance and color that is unique to you. I would recommend William to anyone who is looking to push their work to the next level.
Alison Mahoney (Evita National Tour – Ensemble)