In addition to his work in contemporary classical music—notably performing Lou Harrison's compositions—Winant has worked in a variety of genres, including noise rock, free improvisation and jazz. Notable collaborators include Glenn Spearman, Thurston Moore, Sonic Youth, Mr. Bungle (with whom he toured in support of their albums Disco Volante and California), Secret Chiefs 3, Mondo Cane and Oingo Boingo. A member of the Abel-Steinberg-Winant Trio, he has also frequently collaborated with John Zorn.
Winant received his undergraduate degree from York University, then attended the California Institute of the Arts for a couple of years, ultimately dropping out to go tour with Oingo Boingo. He currently is a faculty member at Mills College in Oakland, California. He also gives percussion lessons and teaches the percussion ensemble at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
William winant percussion group second construction by john cage
Films
1995 - Musical Outsiders: An American Legacy - Harry Partch, Lou Harrison, and Terry Riley. Directed by Michael Blackwood.
Discography
Productions under the direction of Winant
Lou Harrison – La Koro Sutro (1988)
Bun-Ching Lam – ...Like Water (Tzadik, 1997)
Luc Ferrari – Cellule 75 (Tzadik, 1998) with Chris Brown
Christian Wolff – Burdocks (Tzadik, 2001)
Lou Harrison – Drums Along the Pacific (New Albion, 2003)
Peter Garland – Love Songs (Tzadik, 2005) All pieces written for Winant.
Fred Frith – Back to Life (Tzadik, 2008)
As equal member of groups and projects
White Out (with Jim O'Rourke) – China Is Near (ATP, 2005)
Gratkowski / Brown / Winant (with Frank Gratkowski and Chris Brown) – Wake (Red Toukan, 2009)
Gratkowski / Brown / Winant and Gerhard E. Winkler – Vermilion Traces / Donaueschingen 2009 (Leo, 2012)
With Chris Brown
Room with Larry Ochs (Sound Aspects, 1989)
Lava (Tzadik, 1995)
Duets (1996), Winant only on "Duo"
Rouge Wave (2005)
Iconicities (New Albion, 2011)
With John Cage, Joan LaBarbara
John Cage at Summerstage with Leonard Stein (rec. 1992, Music and Arts Programs of America, 1995)
Music for 17 with the San Francisco Symphony Players, Stephen L. Mosko (1993)
With Alvin Curran
Theme Park (Tzadik, 1998)
With Danny Elfman
Batman Returns (1992)
With Fred Frith
Eleventh Hour (Winter & Winter/WDR 3, 2005) Winant plays guitars on Stick Figurs (for 6 Guitars and 2 Players, 1990)
The Happy End Problem (Music for Dance (Fred, 2006)
With Lou Harrison
Double Concerto (1983)
First Recordings, Solstice, and Ariadne (1990)
3rd Symphony with Dennis Russell Davies, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra (1990)
With Jon Hassell
Vernal Equinox (1978)
With Joan Jeanrenaud
Strange Toys (2008)
With Alvin Lucier
Still and Moving Lines of Silence in Families of Hyperbolas Part II Numbers 5-8 (1984, reissue 2003)
With Roscoe Mitchell
Angel City (2012)
With Thurston Moore and Tom Surgal
Piece for Jetsun Dolma (Les Éditions Victoriaville, 1996)
Lost to the City / Noise to Nowhere (Intakt, 2000)
With Mr. Bungle
Disco Volante (Warner Bros., 1995)
California (Warner Bros., 1998)
With Mike Patton
Pranzo Oltranzista (Tzadik, 1997) with John Zorn, Marc Ribot and Eric Friedlander
With Secret Chiefs 3
Zulfikar II (1998)
Hurqala: 2nd Grand Constitution & Bylaws (1998)
Book M (2001)
Path of Most Resistance (2007)
With Glenn Spearman
Mystery Project (1993)
Smokehouse (1994)
The Fields (1996)
With David Tanenbaum
Lou Harrison – Serenado (New Albion, 2003, expanded reissue of The Perilous Chapel)
Terry Riley – Book of Abbeyozzud (New Albion, 1999)
With James Tenney
Karlheinz Stockhausen – Kontakte (Recorded 1978, Ecstatic Peace, 1997) first live recording of “Kontakte” (1959/60)
With John Zorn
Elegy (Eva, 1992)
Kristallnacht (Eva, 1993)
Music for Children (Tzadik, 1998)
Xu Feng (Tzadik, 2000)
Chimeras (Tzadik, 2003)
Rituals (Tzadik, 2004)
From Silence to Sorcery (Tzadik, 2007)
Music and Its Double (Tzadik, 2012)
Fragmentations, Prayers and Interjections (Tzadik, 2014)