Meet the Musicians: Will Langlie Miletich

By Leilani Polk

As an alumnus of the Seattle Symphony’s Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop who participated in the program for three years while attending high school, it probably seemed like Assistant Principal Bass Will Langlie Miletich was poised for a career in composition. But he had an eclectic range of musical interests, from composition to jazz and classical performance, playing music adeptly in addition to writing it. His desire to become an orchestral musician was solidified after he started studying with Principal Bass Jordan Anderson, a “great mentor and great teacher” who inspired him to become a pro. He won a job with the Seattle Symphony the semester he was due to graduate from The Curtis Institute of Music in 2019, a stroke of luck that allowed him to start working almost immediately after graduating, in familiar territory; Will grew up in Seattle’s View Ridge neighborhood.  

He took away much from the Young Composers Workshop, which he says is most impressive in hindsight because of the condensed time frame: “It really walks a music student through every process of making a piece of music, from being born to being performed, which is pretty rare.” He still composes today. “My last piece was a trio for violin, cello and bass, that I was able to record last spring for a competition, and it made it to the International Society of Basses, earning an honorable mention in the chamber division.” 

Will took the natural beauty of the Emerald City for granted growing up. “I thought every place had towering mountains to orient your direction and lush greenery everywhere. My first semester away from home, I remember being struck at how less green the East Coast was than Seattle.” These days, he soaks up the outdoors whenever possible with his wife Brigid. “I definitely feel thankful to have rediscovered my hometown.” 

He met Brigid at the Marlboro Music Festival over three years ago in Vermont (she was working, he was playing), and they were married this past summer. He enjoys golfing in his spare time, exploring the area’s courses with his dad and brother as well as a few of his orchestra colleagues. “There’s a little group that plays some golf, [Principal Cello] Efe [Baltacıgil] and my friend [Section Bass] Sam [Cassaday], who I’ve known a long time … I actually introduced Sam to golf after he won his job in the orchestra. We celebrated with a round of golf. Now he’s gotten way better than me!” 

Will also loves the area’s art house theaters like Grand Illusion Cinema and “whatever SIFF is putting on … I love going to movies. I think if I wasn’t a musician, I would do something in the film industry.” His favorite film recently? Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves. “I loved its singularly unique voice and awkwardly empathetic characters, equally hilarious and devastating.” 

Due to Brigid’s membership in the Evensong Choir at Epiphany Parish, he’s been getting into the sacred Anglican tradition of choral music, and he is stewing on a new composition. “I’m starting to look into writing, maybe an anthem or evening service piece, for organ and choir.”  

The Merriman-Ross Family Young Composers Workshop is generously underwritten by Pamela Merriman, Sonja Ross, and Kelley Ross.

Additional support is provided by Patricia M. Davis, Ann Holbrook, and Michel and Christine Suignard.

The Seattle Symphony’s Family, School & Community programs are supported by 4Culture, the Arakawa Foundation, Marco Argenti, ArtsFund, Delta Air Lines, Merriman-Ross Family, the National Endowment for the Arts, and individual contributions to the Seattle Symphony Annual Fund.