William Dimmer

Bill Dimmer has been described as a “cornerstone” of Edmonton’s music scene, selected as an Artist/Builder in Edmonton’s Arts and Culture Hall of Fame in 2014. Between his arrival in 1971 and his retirement from the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 2014, Bill served as a teacher, mentor, administrator, conductor, and performer, including a potential Canadian record 43 seasons as ESO assistant principal trumpet. Bill played an important role in creating the ESO’s educational concert series, with which he was involved for over 20 years. The ESO has been at the forefront of educational programming in North America at least in part due to Bill’s talent for engaging young people – he‘s been known to don eye-popping theme costumes, from green cats to aliens, to win their attention.

Bill has shared his musical knowledge with countless private students, teaching at post-secondary institutions such as the University of Alberta and Grant MacEwan University, and with students at MusiCamrose summer music camps, where he served as managing director for several years. He has performed with groups including the Tommy Banks Band and the Plumbers Union, and is music director of the Nova Musica Concert Orchestra. A skilled pilot, he is an active air crew member and instructor with the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association and teaches ground school at the Edmonton Flying Club. He has been known to fly colleagues to remote northern communities as part of the National Arts Centre’s music outreach clinics. 

Mr. Dimmer last appeared as a soloist with the ESO in May 2015.