William Coulter, born in 1959 in Ridgewood, New Jersey, is an American Celtic guitarist, performer, recording artist, and teacher. He began his musical journey at age nine with piano lessons, later transitioning to electric guitar before switching to classical guitar after attending a concert by Andrés Segovia. Coulter earned degrees from the University of California-Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, focusing on classical guitar and ethnomusicology. In 1984, he met guitarist Benjamin Verdery. His Shaker-inspired works, such as Simple Gifts, was released in 1990, Gravity Hill (1992), Celtic Crossing album in 1995, and Music on the Mountain (1996). Coulter's work spans various genres, notably Celtic music, with albums like "The Crooked Road" (1999) and Songs for Our Ancestors: Groovemasters, Vol. 4 (2001). Coulter's contributions to traditional music have been significant, blending folk and classical elements in his compositions and performances.
