In Memoriam

William Oliver
1942-2026

COOPERSTOWN – The Cooperstown community and The Glimmerglass Festival lost a dear friend and colleague on March 1, Bill Oliver, who peacefully passed away at the age of 84 at The Cooperstown Center following a lengthy illness.

Bill was born in Great Falls, Virginia on February 4, 1942, and grew up there and on a military base in Germany. He was an outstanding student. He graduated from Columbia University in 1964 with a BA in English, and in 1965 with an MA in comparative literature. Shortly afterward, he began a career in the Columbia College Admissions Office, where he served as director from 1976-78. He went on to further leadership roles at Columbia, first as director of alumni affairs and development at Columbia College (1978-84), followed by university director of alumni relations (1984-94). It was at Columbia where Bill met his partner of 64 years, Michael Willis, a fellow student, who predeceased Bill in February 2024.

Bill and Michael were lifelong opera fans when, in the mid-1980s, they discovered the then-named Glimmerglass Opera through friends who summered in the Cooperstown area. At the time, the company was performing in its original home in the high school and producing seasons with the invaluable help of a community of volunteers, who worked alongside professional musicians and performers. As Metropolitan Opera regulars, Bill and Michael tentatively approached their first evening at the opera, but they were immediately and delightfully surprised by the quality of the singers and productions. Wooed by the beauty of the area and the fact that they could see opera in the summer, they built a second home on Sugar Hill in Cooperstown in 1985. Along the way, they were introduced to General and Artistic Director Paul Kellogg and his partner, the painter Raymond Han.

The opening of the Alice Busch Opera Theater in 1987 launched an era of growth for the opera. Major grants and individual contributions enabled Glimmerglass to expand from an average 21 performances of three-to-four operas performed in succession each summer, to what ultimately became more than 40 performances of four operas presented in rotating repertory. This expansion and scheduling change enabled out-of-towners to see all seasonal offerings during a single, multi-day visit.

This growth also brought with it the need to expand the small, full-time staff. In 1994, Paul Kellogg hired Bill as the opera’s first full-time development director. A year later, in 1995, Paul brought on board Michael as the opera’s first director of press and public relations. They both retired from Glimmerglass in 2004, but they continued to attend many rehearsals and opening nights. They were married on September 17, 2011.

Together, Bill and Michael’s contributions were crucial to the subsequent expansion of the festival; through their efforts, Glimmerglass greatly enlarged its base of support and garnered an international reputation. Beyond their retirement, they continued to be avid supporters and attendees of The Glimmerglass Festival each summer, so much so that staff created a special calendar for them so that they could attend rehearsals. Even during Michael’s lengthy illness and subsequent passing, Bill remained a loyal supporter and audience member, attending the 50th anniversary season this past summer. Patrons always remembered Bill for his extraordinarily personal touch, often inquiring after him during their visits.

While at Columbia University, Bill and Michael became friends with two distinguished cultural icons—the much-decorated philosopher and historian, Jacques Barzun, who taught at Columbia College for many years, and the lauded American opera composer, Jack Beeson, who was affiliated with the Columbia University Opera Workshop and the opera productions of Columbia Theatre Associates. Bill and Michael introduced Paul Kellogg to both, which led to an ongoing series of standing-room-only lectures by Jacques Barzun throughout the 1990s, and to an acclaimed production of Jack Beeson’s “Lizzie Borden” at Glimmerglass in 1996, which subsequently was seen in Lincoln Center at New York City Opera.

Bill’s close ties with Mr. Beeson also led to his involvement as a board member of the Douglas Moore Fund for American Opera, which was originated by Mr. Beeson and two other Columbia-associated composers, James Stepleton and the world-renowned composer of “Cabaret,” “Chicago,” and “New York, New York,” John Kander. Mr. Beeson and Mr. Kander were students and proteges of the great American composer, Douglas Moore, and over the years, the Moore Fund supported the advancement of emerging opera composers, the production of recitals and workshops of new and recent works, and education on mid-20th-century opera.

Bill and Michael also served on the board of WSKG, the NPR member radio station and PBS member television station in Binghamton, and Bill extended his post-retirement professional opera involvement as a board member of New York City’s Gotham Chamber Opera.

During his working years in Cooperstown, Bill was a Friend of the Library in Cooperstown and an active member of Rotary, and throughout his years in the community, he and Michael were fans and generous supporters of many of the cultural organizations in the area in addition to The Glimmerglass Festival.

An avid tennis player, Bill immediately joined the Cooperstown Country Club upon his arrival in the community. For years, Bill and his regular opponent, Cooperstown attorney Ed Gozigian, who passed away at age 93 in 2024, engaged in a tempestuous ongoing battle, much to the amusement and pleasure of onlookers who felt it was difficult to decide who had the most aggressive—albeit somewhat awkward—serve. Astonishingly, they kept a running tally of the many sets they played over the years; it was generally believed that Ed was a few sets up when they both decided to hang up their racquets.

Bill loved opera, reading, travel, especially to Italy, with many trips to Rome and Tuscany, which led to his and Michael’s love of Sienese painting. Bill is predeceased by his parents, Willard and Julia Oliver, and his husband, Michael Willis. He is survived by cousins Willard M. Oliver and his wife, Judy, Deborah Bour, and Nadine Lindgren, and several nephews and nieces.

Bill will be remembered by his friends in Cooperstown, New York City, and around the country and beyond, and by the many students and colleagues, for his kindness, intellect, and wry sense of humor, along with his generosity and sharp wit. His and Michael’s contributions to The Glimmerglass Festival and the community will long be felt.

Contributions in Bill and Michael’s memory may be sent to Glimmerglass Festival, (607) 547-0700 x299.