Derek Williams: podcast appearances and interviews

Derek Leslie Williams, born on 20 September 1952 in New Zealand, is a Scottish composer, record producer, conductor, and orchestrator. He is known for his work on various film and television scores, including The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert; Bodysurfer; Children of the Dragon; Come in Spinner; The Crossing; and several others. Williams has collaborated with a range of artists such as Frank Bennett, Stella Cole, Grace Knight, Debbie Newsome, Caroline O'Connor, Mikkel Rønnow, and Torvill and Dean. His contributions to music have been recognized through his academic achievements, including a doctorate from the University of Edinburgh awarded for his composition of the opera Wilde, and his status as a Fellow of Trinity College London. Additionally, he is an Honorary Member of the Music Arrangers Guild of Australia. Williams has been actively involved in music organizations; he currently serves his ninth term as Chair of the Wagner Society of Scotland and has been elected as a board member of the RWVI Presidium at the 2024 Assembly of Delegates at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He is also a civil rights activist, notably campaigning for the conservation of Sibelius's work in the United Kingdom during 2012-2013. Since 2007, Williams has been teaching Composition and Orchestration at the Edinburgh University Reid School of Music, contributing to the education of future musicians and composers.