KEVIN JAMES
composer ~ educator ~ performer
The [kaj] ensemble has such top-rate (and obviously adventurous) musicians that this writer will be in attendance at their next performance.
- Harry Rolnick, ConcertoNet.com
The [kaj] ensemble has such top-rate (and obviously adventurous) musicians that this writer will be in attendance at their next performance.
~ Harry Rolnick, ConcertoNet.com
Current Events
The focus this spring is on
Education and Community
Specifically, Kevin will be presenting lecture recital presentations at Michigan State University and Wayne State University on topics including "Making a Career of it: New Music, Outreach and the art of Connecting Communities".
He'll also be leading workshops hosted by the Detroit Symphony, alongside the awesome composer/violinist, Jessie Montgomery, focused on preparing Teaching Artists and composers to put new music at the center of their educational practices.
Dates, Times and Locations
Thursday January 31, 2:30pm
at MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - Chamber Music Hall
Friday February 1, 11:30am
at WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
see the websites of each school's music department for further details
Saturday & Sunday March 2-3
at the Max and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center
DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA EarShot
Education and Community Engagement workshops
see the website of the American Composers Orchestra for complete details
Your Name Here.....
Are YOU performing Kevin's music this season? Make sure you let us know and we'll help you get the word out.
Some Past Events
That Make Us Proud
Make Music Day 2016
Check out the VIDEO here!
Many thanks to HARMAN/JBL, Tilt Brass, Iktus Percussion, Make Music NY, and Whimsical Apps for your support.
click on the image for a detailed description of the piece
The Vanishing Languages Project
Experience the culmination of this wildly original project through the premieres of 5 new works with 3 world class ensembles in an intimate musical conversation with the last speakers of 4 languages on the verge of extinction.
New York Times
"Best of 2013" list
Are you interested in BOOKING or PROGRAMMING a performance?
Email Kevin at
With great thanks to Shure Microphones the Japan/US Friendship Commission, NY State Council on the Arts, the Quileute Tribal Council, the Dalabon, Jawoyn and Ainu peoples Ethel and Del Sol String Quartets, and Speak Percussion, and Elisa Monte Dance, for making this project possible and bringing it to life
Colors on WWFM: 'Radio Radiance'
Radio Radiance
Two-hour broadcast featuring
Young People's Chorus of New York City
Francisco J. Núñez, Artistic Director/Founder
Celestial Fire
Thomas Cabaniss
The City
Susie Ibarra
Colors
Kevin James
WICBM
Toby Twining
Recorded and broadcast by WWFM The Classical Network
Streamed worldwide at www.wwfm.org
The Young People's Chorus invites youth choruses nationwide to premiere a Radio Radiance piece of their choice in their local areas.
If you'd like to perform Colors as a part of the radio radiance network, email the YPC at:
Radio Radiance was created by Francisco Núñez in 2009 to expand the influence of YPC's acclaimed Transient Glory commissioning program and has been funded since its inception by the National Endowment for the Arts. Through broadcasts on such radio outlets as American Public Media's Performance Today and WNYC, New York Public Radio, Radio Radiance has introduced millions of listeners to this fresh and innovative choral music, while at the same time invigorating the repertoire for young people.
The four new Radio Radiance compositions to aired in September 2014 were recorded before a live audience in April in a concert at the 92nd Street Y hosted by WNYC's John Schaefer. In Colors, a palette of digital audio tools enables YPC to accompany itself. The program was streamed worldwide at www.wwfm.org and could also be heard in New York City and surrounding areas via an HD Radio partnership with Columbia University-WKCR at 89.9HD2 and in Philadelphia via HD Radio at 89.5HD2.
Podcasts of each of the four works, are available for streaming on the YPC Web site at http://ypc.org/radioradiance/ where additional information about Radio Radiance can be found.
100 Waltzes for John Cage
In honor of John Cage’s 100th birthday celebration, Kevin James has created a concert-length homage which intuits how Cage might have approached the project, if he had possessed the technological tools that we have easily at our disposal today.
The work is titled 100 Waltzes for John Cage. It is a randomly-evolving soundscape made up of 9 transient iPad-equipped musicians, 100 waltzes, quad speakers & audio from 147 New York City locations in a sublime expression of "the 10,000 things".
The work is modeled on the techniques of 49 Waltzes for the 5 Boroughs - specifically the use of the I-Ching to randomly select 147 locations in New York City. However, in James’ version the 64 hexagram possibilities correlate to the minutes and seconds of GPS locations (instead of grid marks in a Hagstrom Map book) and recordings of the ambient natural (or unnatural) environment are made at each of those locations. In performance these ambient sounds are delivered through quad speakers placed at the corners of the performance space. The length of each sample, the entrance time of the following sample and the pair of speakers delivering the sound are all completely randomized.
NEW YORK performances took place in Cary Hall at the DiMenna Center on August 21st, 22nd, & 23rd, 2012
Are you interested in BOOKING or PROGRAMMING a performance?
Email Kevin at
Speaking in Tongues
Fulcrumpoint New Music Project, directed by Stephen Burns presented 'Speaking in Toungues': a concert of music and dance featured three world premieres by Kevin James, Vivian Fung and Geoffrey Gordon. Kevin's Jawoyn Dreamscape is the second work in his Vanishing Languages series.
Celebrating love and spiritual landscapes through music, electronics, and spngs inspired by the languages and lore of aboriginal Jawoyn, tribal folk songs from Yunnan and titan of poetry Ted Hughes, the program included:
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Vivan Fung, Yunnan Folk Songs
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Mischa Zupka, Rising
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Kevin James, Jawoyn Dreamscapes
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Geoffrey Gordon, Tiger Psalms
CHICAGO performances took place on March 22nd, 2011 at the Harris Theater for Music & Dance
A Chicago Classical
"Top Ten Performance of 2011"
Are you interested in BOOKING or PROGRAMMING a performance?
Email Kevin at
Sadako's Prayers for Peace
This work was commissioned by the Chicago Humanities Festival in conjunction with Fulcrum Point New Music Project. It featured the Contemporary Vocal Enesmeble of Indiana University and was the centerpiece of a weeklong residency at University of Indiana conducted by Kevin and Maestro Burns.
The Premiere performance kicked off the inaugural MUSIC NOW! Festival in Chicago.
CHICAGO performances took place on October 22nd 2006 at the Museum of Contemporary Art and on December 5 at the Harris Theater.
Are you interested in BOOKING or PROGRAMMING a performance?
Email Kevin at