Originaire d'Irlande du Nord, Gareth Williams est Chancellor's Fellow à l'Edinburgh College of Art. Ses compositions cherchent à trouver de nouveaux participants, collaborateurs et publics pour de nouveaux opéras et théâtres musicaux, à mettre en lumière des histoires et des communautés négligées et à explorer les idées de vulnérabilité dans l'écriture vocale.

Williams was Composer in Residence at Scottish Opera from 2011 to 2014. During this time, he created a series of operas and projects, including Breath Cycle, at the respiratory ward of Gartnavel Royal Hospital, where he wrote songs, ensemble pieces, and opera specifically for patients with Cystic Fibrosis, who weren’t allowed in the same room as one another. Breath Cycle was nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Award in 2015.

Il a créé trois opéras avec NOISE Opera depuis 2012, chacun apportant un nouveau collaborateur au genre, parmi les clients du plus ancien bar de Glasgow, le violoneux des Shetland, Chris Stout, et le groupe indépendant Admiral Fallow.

Rocking Horse Winner, produced by Tapestry Opera, a chamber opera, adapted from a short story by D.H. Lawrence by librettist Anna Chatterton, was premiered in Toronto in May 2016, and was nominated for 9 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, winning 5, including Outstanding Musical Production. A new production was staged at Saratoga Opera in 2018, and described as ‘beautiful and disturbing, gripping and provocative.’ (Classical Voice America)

De 2015 à 2018, Williams a collaboré avec Oliver Emanuel pour créer la trilogie 306.
306 Dawn (***** the Herald), 306 Day (**** The Times) and 306 Dusk (***** The Herald, ***** The Stage) were a collection of music theatre works over three years telling the story of the British soldiers shot for cowardice during WW1, produced by the National Theatre of Scotland in partnership with 14-18 Now.