A longtime leading figure in the early music performance movement, conductor and keyboardist William Christie has been especially influential in restoring opera and French music to their rightful places in the Baroque repertory. He is the harpsichordist and leader of the ensemble Les Arts Florissants. His recording career dates back to 1980 and covers French Baroque music in depth, as well as other genres. In 2024, he performed on the album Bill & Friends with many of the younger players he influenced.
Christie was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1944 and studied piano and orga...