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- James
Busby, a
familiar figure in the musical life of New England, is in demand as a
vocal coach, collaborative pianist, and organist throughout the
Northeast. "Pianist James Busby played with skill and
conviction," writes Boston Globe's Richard Dyer, "...the
real illuminations came from Busby's insightful and elegant
playing." In songs of Fauré and Debussy, "...the most
vivid work came from James Busby, elegant at the
piano...Busby...played like a French angel." (Lloyd
Schwartz/Boston Phoenix). "James Busby's contributions were
digitally capable and so straightforward in the interpretation
department that it came as a sheer revelation to the reviewer."
(Richard Buell/Boston Globe).
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- A native of Jackonville, Florida, and an alumnus of New England
Conservatory, James studied piano with Julius Chaloff and Kyriena
Siloti and organ with George Faxon and Max Miller. He later
studied with noted vocal coaches Felix Wolfes, Olga Averino and
conductor John Moriarty. While yet a student, he had the unique
opportunity of playing for master classes and lessons with such
luminaries as Jennie Tourel and Eleanor Steber. He has worked
with many conductors including Sarah Caldwell, Thomas Dunn, Erich
Leinsdorf and Arthur Fiedler. In addition to accompanying
some of Boston’s finest voices, James is organist and choirmaster of
S. Stephen’s Church in Providence, Rhode Island, located in the
heart of the Brown University Campus, a post he has held since 1993.
- Recent performances include appearances with singers at Seiji Ozawa
Hall, Tanglewood and Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York,
where he performed song cycles by Ned Rorem and Scott Wheeler, with
the composers in attendance. Other appearances include recitals
in England, Switzerland and Germany, as well as broadcasts for The
Voice of America. James has performed at conventions of the
American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society. He
is heard frequently on WGBH radio, at the Isabella Stewart Gardner
Museum, the Newport Music Festival, and under the auspices of the
Sears-Roebuck Affiliate Artist Program.
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- James served as Intermezzo's Musical Director
from its inception in 2003 through the 2010 season, overseeing the
premiers of Charles Shadle's A Question of Love, David P.
Gibson's Verlaine and Rimbaud, and Brian Hulse's The Letter,
in addition to productions of Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti,Weill's
The Seven Deadly Sins, Hindemith's Hin und zurück,
Pasatieri's The Women and Heloise and Abelard, Barber's A
Hand of Bridge, and the acclaimed 2006 production of Britten's Curlew
River. In 2007, he was music director/conductor for the world
premiere of Thomas Oboe Lee's The Inman Diaries, and in 2008,
James led the forces in the premiere of Charles Shadle's A Last
Goodbye and Erik Satie's Socrate.
- James returns as musical director and pianist for the New
England stage premier of Jake Heggie's At the Statue of Venus in
September, 2012.
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