WILLIAM PICHER, DMA, AAGO
Organist, trumpeter, composer and conductor, Bill was born to a musical family in Portland, Maine, and began taking organ lessons at the age of 7 with his father, Frank Picher. At age 13, he began to study trumpet, and never looked back. He has continued playing both instruments throughout his career.
Bill holds music degrees from the University of Maine, Eastman School of Music and Catholic University of America. He served for eight years as a trumpet instrumentalist with the famed United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C., where he performed regularly at the White House, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and in many of the great concert halls throughout the United States. He has played trumpet with the Florida Orchestra, the Orlando Philharmonic, the Bach Festival Society, the Mt. Vernon Chamber Orchestra, the Portland Symphony Orchestra, the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, as well as at Walt Disney World, where he has also served as conductor, organist, vocal coach, rehearsal pianist and member of the Walt Disney World Orchestra.
As an organist and choral director, Bill has served as Director of Music at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Portland, Maine) and the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle (St. Petersburg, Florida) before taking on his current position at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe (Orlando, Florida), where he has served since 2001. Never a fan of cold weather, Bill is happy to reside in Florida, where he and his wife have raised two sons, both of whom have gone on to pursue careers in the arts.
In 2000, Bill was awarded the St. Jude Medal by Most Rev. Robert N. Lynch, Bishop of St. Petersburg, in recognition for his service to the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle and the Diocese of St. Petersburg.
Bill has served on the music faculty of the University of Maine, University of Southern Maine, Florida Southern College, St. Petersburg College and others, and he was also the house organist at Portland, Maine’s historic State Theatre, where he played the Mighty Wurlitzer for silent movies and other events. Classical organ recital performances have included Holy Name Cathedral (Chicago), St. Mary’s Cathedral (San Francisco), the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Washington, D.C.), the National Cathedral (Washington DC) and many others.
Bill is composer member of B.M.I., and an Associate of the American Guild of Organists. He has produced several published works for Lorenz and PP Music for organ as well as brass and he performs organ recitals as a member of the Allen Artist Program. Several recordings of Bill playing both organ and trumpet, as well directing the Basilica Choir have been released on the Stemik label.