William Grosvenor Neil's compositions present the listener with an intense  brilliant effect (FANFARE MAGAZINE) and represent contemporary writing  at its most intellectual probing  (CHICAGO TRIBUNE).  His extremely characteristic harmonic world  (CLASSICAL CD REVIEW) is fundamental to the unfolding of his music, and the range of sonic experiences (in his music)  is astounding (SOUNDBOARD).  In the 1980s Neil was appointed as the first composer-in-residence with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the first residency of its kind with a major American opera company.  His opera, The Guilt of  Lillian Sloan was premiered by Lyric in June of 1986.  In 1987, following his

tenure as composer-in-residence at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and a three-year stint co-managing the New Music Chicago Festival, Neil pursued a parallel career in the financial services industry.  Now retired, Neil enjoys fulfilling commissions, performing, and serving as a classical radio program host on local community FM stations. The Rome Prize and the Charles Ives Award are among his honors. His work has been recognized through grants from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Illinois Arts Council,

fellowships from the Fulbright Commission, the American  Symphony Orchestra League, and awards from ASCAP and BMI.  In 2008 he served as the McKnight Visiting Composer with the American Composers Forum for the city of Winona, MN.  In the fall of 2020, Neil served as an Artist-in-Residence at the Badlands National Park in South Dakota.  There, inspired by the pinnacles and spires of the park surrounded by the tall grass prairie ecosystem,  he composed his tone poem,  Prairie Music for orchestra.