William Strickland

William Remsen Strickland (January 25, 1914 – November 17, 1991) was an American conductor and organist, noted for his lifelong promotion of American composers.

Career Strickland was born in Defiance, Ohio, on January 25, 1914. As a young organist, he served at several prominent Episcopal churches in New York, including Christ Church (Bronxville), Calvary Church (Manhattan),

Strickland served as guest conductor for the Cathedral Choral Society of Washington, D.C. during World War II. In 1946 he helped found and went on to conduct the Nashville Symphony for five seasons, until 1951. and in 1961 the American Composers Alliance honored him with its Laurel Leaf Award. In 1962–1963, he was Chief Conductor of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. He made several recordings for CRI (Composers Recordings, Inc.), including works by Henry Cowell, Charles Ives, and the Icelandic composer Jón Leifs.

On November 17, 1991, Strickland died of lung cancer at his home in Westport, Connecticut, at the age of 77. His official archives are held by the Library of Congress in Washington, DC and by the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville.