Bill Hawkey has had an outstanding career as a music educator, administrator, choral conductor, composer, pianist and organist.

Bill graduated from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, from which he was subsequently appointed Reader in Music. In 1979 Bill moved to Canberra to take up the newly created position of Assistant Director at the Canberra School of Music, and became the Director and Professor of Music in 1996. During his time in Canberra he was for many years Organist and Choirmaster at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Canberra.

Bill was the Organizing Chairman of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) Conference, which was held in Canberra in 1988. More than 2000 delegates and 1500 performers from around the world participated.

As a choral conductor, his achievements are impressive and too numerous to mention in detail. He was a long-term Music Director and Conductor of the Choir and Chorale of the Christchurch Harmonic Society which toured extensively overseas. He was closely involved with the ABC’s Adelaide Singers, the BBC Singers in London, numerous other small choirs and choral societies and more recently with the Canberra Community Choir, now renamed the Llewellyn Choir, which he formed in 1981 and of which he was Music Director for over a decade.

In 1974 Bill was presented the Award of MBE for services to music by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. In 1996 he was named The Canberra Times’ Artist of the Year for services to the arts in the ACT. In retirement Bill enjoys conducting the Montague Choristers in Narooma NSW.