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.

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.