William Winant is a very active percussionist from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is known in the classical world as an enthusiastic participant in avant-garde music, and also works in pop, rock, and jazz music. He has made more than 100 recordings in all genres. Winant is a member of the faculties of the University of California's home in Berkeley and at its Santa Cruz campus. In addition, he teaches at Mills College in Oakland. Leading composers who have written for him include John Zorn, Lou Harrison, Terry Riley, Fred Frith, Somei Satoh, Wadada Leo Smith, John Cage, Alvin Curran, Gordon Mumma, and Alvin Lucier. The New York Times Critic's Choice for best contemporary recording of 1988 was his recording of Lou Harrison's La Koro Sutro on the New Albion label. One of his major projects was a collaboration between several avant-garde composers and the rock band Sonic Youth, named by The Village Voice as one of the best rock/classical fusion recordings ever made. Major artists with which he has worked include Pierre Boulez, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Yo-Yo Ma, the Mark Morris Dance Group, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Anthony Braxton, Iannis Xenakis, Keith Jarrett, Frederic Rzewski, Ursula Oppens, and Cecil Taylor. Kronos String Quartet, and the avant-rock band Mr. Bungle. He appeared on the Danny Elfman's soundtrack as percussion soloist on Batman Returns, and also played with Elfman's former rock band Oingo Boingo. He is a member of the John Zorn Chamber Ensemble, the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Room, and Challenge. For ten years he was the percussionist of the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra and the timpanist of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra for four years. In March 2012, he, along with the James Fei Alto Saxophone Quartet, performed during a premiere concert of Roscoe Mitchell compositions at Mills College. That same year, he worked on Double Dupe Down with Zeena Parkins and Secret of Secrets with Aaron Novik.