About
I am William So, a composer, film composer and a classically trained pianist. I was born in Hong Kong and I am currently studying in Berklee College of Music in Boston, majoring in Composition.
I treasure the inner craft of a musician much more than the mere virtuosity without crafted meaning. For me, music is everything. That’s all.
I started learning classical piano when I was five, as a hobby. With my incredible ears coupled with considerable practices, I got some achievements in piano. Yet, it didn’t last too long. I found my interest is definitely not in performance.
In the past, being influenced by the idea that ‘‘only genii could compose’’, I never truly thought about being a composer. I took 2 gap years after graduating from my high school, I was free of doing whatever I wanted and that completely changed my life. As a die-hard Harry Potter fan, I love the music so much but I didn’t really look deep into the soundtracks. In the gap year, I listened to a lot of Harry Potter soundtracks and play them on the piano by ears, which brought me overwhelmingly nostalgic feelings. What’s more than that, when I deeply listened to the music, I started wondering ‘‘how on earth could someone compose like this? His imagination and craft simply beyond everything I have ever listened to!’’
I therefore started transcribing the movie cues into sheets. After that, I become more interested in composing. With the help of a few teachers and self-learning, I had written a few of my first compositions in 2014. I think my first compositions were nice, although not mature enough.
I kept improving myself afterwards by composing, listening, transcribing and studying orchestral scores. Apart from my all-time favourite, John Williams, Johann Sebastian Bach, Frédéric Chopin, Gustav Holst, Scott Bradley, Alan Silvestri, Joe Hisaishi are few of my greatest influences.
Style:
I would describe myself as a composer and film composer in the style of the classical and neo-romanticism as basis, with elements of contemporary music, jazz and the music in the 20th century. I am a fan of both complexity and minimalism. I prefer unpredictability based on a very logical, and well-structured music. For me, ''order within chaos'' is the nirvana, the pinnacle of music that I always pursue.
I demand very much of myself regarding both the big picture and also the small details of the music. I painstakingly work to see how every note will affect the others. I always explore every possibility within music such as complex harmonies and timbre. I treat my all my compositions as my children. However, children can be spoiled. But not my music.
If one listens to my compositions, they would see that each composition is very different, yet they also maintain a single common style.