William (Bill) MacSems was born in New York City, New York In 1930. His family settled in Culver City, California in 1942. He served as a bandsman in the US Air Force from 1950 to 1953. In 1959 He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University at Los Angeles and earned his Master of Arts degree in Music Composition from California State University at San Francisco in 1967. It was there that he studied with Roger Nixon.
In 1970 - 1971, while on sabbatical from his teaching position, he studied with Gottfried von Einem in Vienna, Austria, at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts.
Earlier, in 1962 Mr. MacSems was commisioned by the Chamber of Commerce of Nevada City California, to compose the music for a musical show for the celebration of the Bicentennial. He was also honored by the San Mateo County Choral Society at a concert featuring his music. In 1972 he received a grant from the San Mateo Arts council to supplement production costs for his opera. In 1995 The Townsend Opera of Modesto commissioned him to compose a tribute to the Great Central Valley of California.
He founded and directed the Pacific Opera Theater. He was conductor of the Glen Rock, N.J. Community Orchestra, guest conductor of the Coast side Community Orchestra in Half Moon Bay and the San Mateo (Ca) County Chorus, conductor and guest conductor of the Nevada County Concert Band, in Nevada City and Grass Valley, Ca.
His music has been performed in Vienna Austria, Bucharest, Romania, in and around San Francisco and Sacramento, Ca., and Cleveland, Oh