Recognized as a distinguished interpreter of the music of J.S. Bach, which he performs during the 2026–2027 season with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Solomon’s Knot, the Netherlands Bach Society, Insula Orchestra, and the ensembles La Sportelle and Le Banquet Céleste, William Shelton also appears this season with Pygmalion, Cappella Mediterranea, Le Printans, and as Ottone (L’Incoronazione di Poppea) at the Théâtre national du Capitole de Toulouse, before touring Europe with Ensemble I Gemelli.

He also performs the programme Une vénitienne à Paris alongside Léo Brunet and Alice Trocellier, a programme recorded for the Oktav Records label.

For several years, William Shelton has been regularly invited as a soloist by French ensembles and orchestras such as Pygmalion, Cappella Mediterranea, Les Talens Lyriques, Le Poème Harmonique, the Orchestre national Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Les Ambassadeurs, Le Banquet Céleste, Alia Mens, Les Cris de Paris, L’Escadron volant de la Reine, and Le Caravansérail, as well as internationally with the Danish Philharmonic Orchestra, Vox Luminis, Collegium Vocale Gent, Balthasar Neumann Ensemble & Chor, La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Musica Getutscht, Ricercar Consort, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Freiburger Bachchor, the Orchestre du Festival Bach de Montréal, A Nocte Temporis, Il Gardellino, Capella Sollertia, Continuum, and Gli Angeli.

On stage, he has performed Göbst (Voyage d’Automne by Bruno Mantovani) and Nireno (Giulio Cesare by Haendel) at the Théâtre national du Capitole de Toulouse, created the role of Le Président in Carmen, cours d’assises, based on Bizet’s opera and presented notably at the Théâtre du Luxembourg and the Opéras de Bordeaux and Limoges, appeared as Messaggiera (Euridice by Caccini) with Scherzi Musicali in Brussels and Timișoara, Romania, Arsamene (Serse by Händel) with Opera Fuoco in China, and Apollon (Psyche by Locke) with Ensemble Correspondances at the Opéra Royal de Versailles, Caen, and the Théâtre d’Hardelot.

He is the recipient of several international awards: the Young Artist Award at the Cesti Baroque Opera Competition in Innsbruck, Second Prize at the Concours de Chant Baroque de Froville, First Prize at the World Bach Competition of the Boulder Bach Festival, and both the Audience Prize and the Jeunes Talents Association Prize at the Concours Corneille in Rouen, chaired by Andreas Scholl.

A passionate chamber musician, he also won the Duo Prize at the Concours international de la mélodie française de Toulouse in 2023 alongside pianist Louis Dechambre, as well as the Opéra Grand Avignon Prize at the Concours de mélodies de Gordes with pianist Bastien Dollinger.

Artist in residence at the Chapelle Musicale Reine Élisabeth from 2021 to 2024, he received guidance there from Sophie Koch, José Van Dam, and Stéphane Degout. William Shelton had previously been a member of the inaugural class of young singers at the Académie Philippe Jaroussky in 2017.

William Shelton has been represented by RSBA since 2022.