Born in London, Waterhouse began taking bassoon lessons from
Vernon Elliott, then studied bassoon at the
Royal College of Music with
Archie Camden, viola with
Cecil Aronowitz, and harmony with the composer
Gordon Jacob. From 1953 to 1955, he was second bassoonist in the orchestra of the
Royal Opera at Covent Garden at the time of
Maria Callas,
Tito Gobbi, and
Kirsten Flagstad. Later he stated that his most valuable lessons in phrasing were actually learned playing in the pit while accompanying opera singers. From 1955 until 1958 he played in the
Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano. He was the principal bassoonist in the
London Symphony Orchestra (1958–1965), and in the
BBC Symphony Orchestra (1965–1982), playing under such conductors as
Cantelli,
Toscanini,
Furtwängler,
Monteux,
Karajan,
Klemperer and
Boulez. Waterhouse was married to the pianist and music teacher
Elisabeth Waterhouse. The composer and cellist
Graham Waterhouse is their son. Violinist and teacher Celia Milner of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and freelance violinist and teacher Lucy Waterhouse are their daughters. William Waterhouse died in 2007 in
Florence.
Chamber musician William Waterhouse was a member of the
Melos Ensemble from 1959 and participated with the group in the premiere of the
War Requiem by
Benjamin Britten, conducted by the composer. He recorded all the wind chamber music by
Beethoven, and works by
Nielsen,
Janáček,
Poulenc,
Schubert and
Jean Françaix with the ensemble. He wrote in 1995: "It was the remarkable rapport between this pair of lower strings" (i.e.
Terence Weil and
Cecil Aronowitz) "which remained constant throughout a succession of distinguished leaders, that gave a special distinction to this outstanding ensemble." He recorded with the Melos Ensemble, its principal players
Richard Adeney and
William Bennett (flute),
Gervase de Peyer and Keith Puddy (clarinet), Stephen Trier (bass clarinet),
Peter Graeme and Sarah Barrington (oboe),
Neill Sanders and James Buck (horn), Edgar Williams (bassoon),
Emanuel Hurwitz and
Ivor McMahon (violin),
Cecil Aronowitz (viola),
Terence Weil (cello),
Adrian Beers (double bass),
Lamar Crowson (piano): • Beethoven: • Quintet for piano and winds, Op. 16 • March for Sextet in B flat major, WoO 29 • Rondino in E flat major, WoO 25 •
Septet •
Octet • Duo No. 1 in C major, WoO 27 • Schubert:
Octet •
Franz Berwald: Septet • Carl Nielsen:
Wind Quintet • Janáček:
Mládí,
Concertino •
Francis Poulenc: Trio for Oboe, Bassoon & Piano, Sonata for Clarinet & Bassoon •
Jean Françaix:
Divertissement for Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon,
Divertissement for Bassoon and String Quintet (dedicated to him) •
Nikos Skalkottas: Octet •
Richard Rodney Bennett:
Calendar •
Gordon Crosse:
Concerto Da Camera •
Harrison Birtwistle:
Tragoedia •
Peter Maxwell Davies:
Leopardi Fragments In 1974 he recorded Stockhausen's
Adieu with the
London Sinfonietta: Sebastian Bell (flute),
Janet Craxton (oboe),
Antony Pay (clarinet) and John Butterworth (horn), conducted by the composer.
Teacher William Waterhouse was a professor at the
Royal Northern College of Music from 1966 until 1996, when he served as Curator of the Collection of Historic Musical Instruments. He was awarded Fellowship of the College in 1991. In 1972, he became visiting professor at
Indiana University, Bloomington. He was also guest professor in
Melbourne and
Banff.
Juror of international competitions He served on the jury of the
ARD Musikwettbewerb in Munich in 1965, 1975, 1984 and 1990, as well as in Prague, Eindhoven, Markneukirchen, Potsdam and Victoria BC. The program book includes a section of memories, titled "recollected in tranquility, a celebration", including a contribution of
Karlheinz Stockhausen who wrote in 2007: Not only in rehearsal, but also in many hours before and after rehearsals and recordings, and during our trips with the ensemble, I had the pleasure and privilege of sharing with William Waterhouse his rich cultural knowledge and enthusiasm. He was a musician as we all should be: excellent as a performer, open minded, curious, well educated, joyous, full of humour. I greet him in the beyond and hope to meet him again." ==Music dedicated to William Waterhouse==