As a child, he was immersed in jazz, accompanying his saxophonist father. It was in this context of great creative freedom that he became familiar with the acoustic and electric guitar. Fascinated by African and Indian music, he is curious about all kinds of music from all continents and all eras.

He discovered the world of lutes and early music at a concert by Rolf Lislevand in 2015. He then began studying theorbo in Versailles with Benjamin Perrot and lute with Claire Antonini in Chelles. Encouraged by Claire Antonini, he entered Hopkinson Smith's class at the Schola Cantorum in Basel in 2017 and obtained his Bachelor's degree in 2020. He continued his studies by returning to Benjamin Perrot's class as part of the 'Music-Interpretation-Performance' Master's programme at the CRR de Versailles, in partnership with the Université de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Alongside his studies, he began working professionally with renowned ensembles such as Le Poème Harmonique, Les Accents, Les Epopées, Marguerite Louise, Le Concert Idéal, Zene, Il Groviglio, Acte 6 and Camille Delaforge. His dissertation 'Approche idiomatique de la basse-continue au théorbe' (An idiomatic approach to the basso continuo on the theorbo) was praised by his supervisors Thomas Leconte and Pauline Lemaigre-Gaffier.

An insatiable student of counterpoint and harmony, his jazz playing gives him great flexibility when it comes to improvising the continuo. Constantly mindful of the role his instrument plays in the ensemble, sometimes discreet, sometimes extrovert, he likes to take liberties with the score, take unexpected risks and play with the moment.

Salomé GASSELIN, the emblematic figure of a new generation of musicians, is bringing new life to her favourite instrument: the viola da gamba.
Her career has been punctuated by numerous awards (unanimous first prize at the Gianni Bergamo Music Award 2020 in Lugano, Switzerland, second prize at the Bach-Abel Competition 2020 in Köthen, Germany). Her debut album Récit made the viola da gamba "vibrate" in Le Monde, where she was named one of the promises of the year 2023.

Although she had long believed that rugby would bring her her first victories, Salomé quickly chose music as her favourite playground. She trained at the CNSMD in Lyon in Marianne Muller's class, before moving on to the Koninkijk Conservatorium in The Hague, Holland, in Philippe Pierlot's class, and finally to the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, with Vittorio Ghielmi. Alongside her musical career, she studied Modern Literature at the University of Paris X. She has performed in ensemble and chamber music with Pygmalion, Jupiter, Masques, le Poème Harmonique and Capriccio Stravagante in venues including the Wigmore Hall, Vienna Musikverein, Philarmonie de Paris, Forbidden City Concert Hall in Bejing, Berlin Philarmonie and Elbphilarmonie. As a soloist, she has appeared at La Folle journée de Nantes, La Roque d'Anthéron and the Thüringer Bachwochen.

The Franco-British countertenor William Shelton, a renowned interpreter of Bach, will perform in 2023-2024 in France and Europe under the baton of Raphaël Pichon (Pygmalion), Philippe Herreweghe (Collegium Vocale Gent), Reinoud Van Mechelen (A Nocte Temporis), Olivier Spilmont (Alia Mens), Stephan Macleod (Gli Angeli), Alexis Kossenko (Les Ambassadeurs), Johanna Soller (Münchener Bach-Orchester),and Elina Albach (Continuum).

Other programmes this season will take him on the road alongside Jordi Savall (La Capella Reial de Catalunya), Cyrille Mercier (Orchestre national Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes),Thomas Hengelbrock (Balthasar Neumann Ensemble), Frank Markowitsch (Freiburger Bachchor), Vincent Dumestre (Le Poème Harmonique), Bernhard Reichel (Musica Getutscht) and Lionel Meunier (Vox Luminis).

In a completely different repertoire, he will again sing the role of the President in Carmen Case at the Théâtre du Luxembourg and at the Opéra de Bordeaux, as well as Feldman's Rothko Chapel, with Les Cris de Paris.

For several years now, William Shelton has been a regular guest soloist with French ensembles such as Pygmalion, Les Ambassadeurs, Alia Mens, L'Escadron volant de la Reine, le Caravansérail, but also abroad : Vox Luminis, Collegium Vocale Gent, Balthasar Neumann Ensemble & Chor, La Cetra Barockorchester Basel, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Musica Getutscht, A Nocte Temporis, and Gli Angeli.

On stage, he created the role of the President in the show Carmen Case, by the composer Diana Soh and based on Bizet's opera,  sang Messaggiera (Euridice by Caccini) with Scherzi Musicali in Brussels and Timisoara (Romania), Arsamene (Händel's Serse) with Opera Fuoco in China (Beijing, Shen-Zhen and Nanjing) and Apollo (Locke's Psyche) with Ensemble Correspondances (Opéra de Versailles, Caen and Théâtre d'Hardelot).

A keen chamber musician, in 2023 he won the Duo Prize at the Concours international de la mélodie française de Toulouse with pianist Louis Dechambre; in 2020 he also won the Prix de l'Opéra Grand Avignon at the Gordes mélodies competition, with pianist Bastien Dollinger; They were subsequently invited to give recitals at Avignon Opera as part of the Apér'Opéra series, and as part of the "Jeunes Talents" programme at the Petit Palais in Paris. This season, in the company of the theorbist Léo Brunet and the gambist Salomé Gasselin, he will perform “Une Vénitienne à Paris”, a program based on the remarkable life of the composer Antonia Bembo, before recording it for Oktav Records.

He has been an Artist in residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel since 2021 and has had the opportunity to receive guidance from Sophie Koch, José Van Dam, and Stéphane Degout; William Shelton was previously a member of the first cast of young singers at the Académie Philippe Jaroussky in 2017.

He is the winner of several international competitions: "Young Artist Award" at the Cesti Baroque Opera Competition in Innsbruck, 2nd Prize at the Froville Baroque Singing Competition, 1st Prize at the Boulder Bach Festival's "World Bach Competition", Audience Prize and "Jeunes Talents" Prize at the Corneille Competition in Rouen (Andreas Scholl as chairman).

William Shelton is represented by RSB Artists since 2022.