James Stephenson
James Stephenson
James M. Stephenson - Composer (b. February 4, 1969)
"... straightforward, unashamedly beautiful sounds..." and "deserves to be heard again and again."
"... skillfully composed" and "covers a wide stylistic and emotional range... seamlessly arranged..." - Boston Herald and Boston Globe
"I consider him to be one of the most exciting composers, not just in the U.S., but in the world." - Peg Goldberg Longstreth, Naples Daily News
James Stephenson's music is the complete package: a fresh and energizing sound scape that delights the audience while maintaining integrity and worthwhile challenges for the performing musicians. This rare combination has rewarded Stephenson with ongoing commissions and projects. Current collaborations include a concerto for Branford Marsalis with Rodney Mack; a work for the Houston Symphony,; a concerto for the Philadelphia Orchestra's principal trombonist, Nitzan Haroz; a piano/trumpet concerto for Lisa Leonard and Marc Reese; and a new work for the Bozeman Symphony.
Stephenson's music has been performed by many of today's leading orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the symphonies of Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Baltimore, Oregon, Jacksonville, the Rochester Philharmonic, Florida Orchestra, and the Naples Philharmonic. His music has been conducted by such notables as Gustavo Dudamel, Jorge Mester, Fabio Mechetti and Thomas Wilkins. His symphonic arrangements have been performed by almost every leading orchestra in the U.S. A diverse sampling of individuals who have performed Stephenson's works would include Pinchas Zukerman, Denyce Graves, Jennifer Frautschi, the Chicago Symphony String Quartet, Empire Brass members Marc Reese, Mark Hetzler and Greg Miller, and even the Pointer Sisters and 98 Degrees. Stephenson's music appears on many artists' recordings, including those of Jouko Harjanne, Eric Berlin, Richard Watson, the Christy Quartet, Musicians-out-of-the-Box and his own, Colors, released in 2002.
Stephenson's commitment to music for young audiences resulted in his landmark educational work: Compose Yourself! This interactive and informative introduction to the symphony orchestra has been performed over 125 times nationwide since its 2002 premiere.
Increasingly in demand for his passionate work with young musicians, Stephenson has appeared as resident composer at many festivals, including the Las Vegas Music Festival, the Southern Illinois Music Festival, and most recently he was featured at Lynn University's Contemporary Music Festival in Boca Raton, FL and the St. Barts (French West Indies) Music Festival. A similar highlight of 2007 involves three brass conferences in three weeks, one of which being ITG's National Conference, including two world premieres, and a showcase of Stephenson's brass compositions.
Stephenson studied at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he earned his Bachelor of Music with distinction in trumpet performance. His wife, Sally, is a performing violinist, and they have four children.
For a complete listing of Stephenson's works, written for many genres, please browse this website.