William L. Lake, Jr. is the director of concert bands for the school of music at George Mason University where he conducts the George Mason University Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band. He also teaches conducting and wind literature classes. Previously, he served as associate director of bands and assistant professor of music education at the Crane School of Music for the State University of New York at Potsdam, where he was co-conductor of the Northern Symphonic Winds, principal conductor of the Crane Concert Band, and guest conductor of the Crane Wind Ensemble. Lake earned his doctorate in instrumental conducting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro under the mentorship of John R. Locke and Kevin Geraldi.

Lake maintains an active performance and clinic schedule as a guest conductor and lecturer nationwide. In March 2024, he was named the music and artistic director of the Capital Wind Symphony. Recently, Lake served as a collaborating author for two books, Teaching Instrumental Music: Perspectives and Pedagogies for the 21st Century (Oxford University Press) and Music Education on the Verge: Stories of Pandemic Teaching and Transformative Change (Lexington Books). As a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Lake has presented numerous seminars across the United States on inclusive practices in music education and performance.

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