William Goodchild

He has collaborated with international solo artists as diverse as guitarist John Williams with whom he has recorded a number of albums, Andy Sheppard, members of the Maggini Quartet, Natalia Lomeiko, Alasdair Malloy, O-Duo and Tom Jones and most recently Roni Size and Reprazent. In 2016, William Goodchild was appointed Conductor and Musical Director of Bristol Symphony Orchestra. He is also Guest Conductor with Bristol Ensemble. He performs regularly with both orchestras at St George's Bristol and Colston Hall.

William Goodchild works with a number of international and national orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the London Metropolitan Orchestra. He has recorded at many of the major London recording studios including Abbey Road Studios, Associated Independent Recording, Angel Recording Studios, and CTS Lansdowne Studios. As a conductor and orchestrator he has undertaken projects for the BBC including natural history series such as Nature's Great Events, Wild China, Ganges, Europe – a Natural History, Journey of Life and Wild New World, and has recorded for Sony Classical Records, Universal Records, and CBS Masterworks.

William Goodchild's compositions include original music for natural history and history documentaries, radio drama and a variety of commercial work. Recent broadcast commissions include Wild Amazon (2010) – a two-part series for the National Geographic Channel and Animal Planet, Wild Russia (2009) – a six-part series for the National Geographic Channel and Animal Planet, Snow Monkeys (2009) for BBC Natural World, Lobo – the Wolf that Changed America (2008) – a Natural World production for the BBC and WNET narrated by David Attenborough; Humpbacks – from Fire to Ice (2008) for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the National Geographic Society narrated by David Attenborough; Athens – the Truth about Democracy (2007) – a two-part history feature for Channel 4 produced by Lion TV and presented by Bettany Hughes; A Man among Bears (2008) – a natural history feature for Five and National Geographic Channel produced by Aqua Vita Films; and Peter Scott – a Passion for Nature (2006) – produced by Available Light Productions for BBC Two. Current commissions include Secrets of the Arabian Nights (2010) – directed by Mark Fielder and Lizzie White for Quickfire Media for BBC 4/2 broadcast in Autumn/Winter 2010.

In the 1980s, William Goodchild met Rachel Swan at an event playing piano with her sister, jazz singer Joanna Swan in Bristol, England. Rachel Swan had recently returned to England from Berkeley, California, USA where she had been studying and training in Montessori Teaching. The two were married by Goodchild’s father, Ronald Goodchild, at Clifton College, Bristol, England in 1990. At this time, Goodchild was teaching piano and music at Clifton College in Bristol, England. Four years later, the Goodchild family gave birth to a daughter, Rosa and then six years later another daughter, Eleanor. Rachel Goodchild is now a successful designer and operates her own business. Rosa Goodchild is a fashion and commercial photographer.

Born in Northampton, England to an Australian-born father, the late Ronald Goodchild, (formerly Suffragan Bishop of Kensington), and an English mother Jean Ross, William Goodchild was educated at the Royal College of Music (1970–1974) where he was a Junior Exhibitioner, studying violin and piano. After gaining a music scholarship at St Paul's School (1974–1981), William Goodchild obtained a Bachelor's degree with Honors in music at the University of East Anglia (1982–1985). He also holds a Diploma of Licentiate in Pianoforte from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (1989). He is a member of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and the MCPS-PRS Alliance. He studied conducting with Richard Hickox, John Lubbock and George Hurst, and piano with Sidney Harrison and John York. His passion for film composition began when working as a musical assistant to British composer Edward Williams preparing scores and conducting sessions on television projects for Williams. William Goodchild also teaches Music for Film and Television at the University of Bristol and gives seminars on Music for Film for organizations such as Music Industry Education and Wildscreen Festival and was invited to teach in 2011 for Wildeye International School of Wildlife Filmmaking. In May 2010 he worked on a Music for Film project with the BBC Concert Orchestra and twenty-seven young musicians as part of the Bristol Festival of Nature 2010. Goodchild's sound recording studio is in Bristol.

William Goodchild (born 3 April 1964) is a composer, orchestrator and conductor who produces music for film, television and the concert hall.