Bill Leslie is an Emmy and Peabody Award winning journalist and internationally acclaimed musician and composer. His 2013 release "Scotland: Grace of the Wild" earned Album of the Year honors by international radio hosts who are tracked by Zone Music Reporter. The award was presented on May 17, 2014 in New Orleans by Windham Hill Records founder and Grammy Award winner Will Ackerman. Famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma called Leslie “one of the greats in modern Celtic music.” Bill has produced eight CDs including six albums which have hit at or near the top of the world music charts. A Midnight Clear – Christmas in Mitford achieved a number one ranking on the charts in December, 2011 and was named Best Holiday Album by international radio hosts. Leslie’s Simple Beauty album in 2010 also captured a number one spot on the monthly Zone Music charts and was named Best Acoustic Instrumental Album by voting radio hosts worldwide. Blue Ridge Reunion released in 2008 peaked at number one on the world music charts in September and was voted as the Best Acoustic Instrumental Album worldwide by international radio hosts. Bill’s first solo release, Peaceful Journey, also hit number one on the New Age Reporter world music charts in December 2004, while his Christmas in Carolina and I Am a River albums peaked at number two in the international music rankings. Christmas in Carolina album was also named 2005 "Best Holiday Album.” Bill also produced two albums with the Celtic fusion band Bragh Adair. Leslie, who plays guitar, piano and Celtic whistle was named "Best New Artist" worldwide by the NAR in 2005. Bill currently plays with the Raleigh based Celtic/Folk ensemble “Lorica.” Bill’s orchestral composition Tall Ships was named the official song of the 2006 America Parade of Sail featuring majestic ships from around the world. Bill’s music has been performed by the North Carolina Symphony and the Tar River Philharmonic Orchestra. Bill is also a popular story teller and author of a book featuring his father’s watercolors of Western North Carolina. His hobbies include running, photography and visiting national parks. He is an elder at Cary Presbyterian Church. Bill is a graduate of University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. His roots run deep in Tar Heel soil. Bill’s North Carolina ancestry spans five generations. Bill lives in Cary, N.C. with his wife Cindy, a speech pathologist. Their children are Lauren, an elementary school teacher and Will, a recent graduate of Appalachian State University, who works for a video production company in Charlotte.