James Anderson

"Destined to make his mark in a highly competitive field in which many are called but few are chosen."

John W. Lambert, The Spectator

"Ovation after ovation rang from the standing audience, growing louder and louder as the leading ballerinas came forward. But when the conductor was led onto the stage, the roar rivaled that of the music he had led."

Kate Dobbs Ariail, Classical Voice of North Carolina

Biography

Hailed for his innovative programming and compelling interpretations, award-winning maestro, pianist, and composer, James Allen ANDERSON continues to engage audiences worldwide with entertaining and thought-provoking performances. Praised for his conducting versatility, he is equally at home in both concert and stage productions. 

Anderson is the Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of Delaware, the founding Music Director and Conductor of SODELO (Southern Delaware Orchestra), and the Music Director of the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey. Previous positions include Music Director of the Butte Symphony Association, cover conductor for the North Carolina Symphony, and Director of Orchestral Activities at Appalachian State University and the University of Montana. He has held posts with the Eastman Opera Theatre, Triangle Opera (NC), Theater on the Ridge (NY), and the Pauper Players Theatre Company (NC). Additional affiliations include multiple summer seasons as resident conductor of the Master Players Festival Orchestra in Newark, Delaware and eight seasons as resident conductor of the Cannon Music Symphony and String Orchestras in Boone, North Carolina.

James Anderson continues to break new ground creating pioneering programs such as the Delaware International Music Exchange (D.I.M.E.), the Cultural Fusion Initiative (C.F.I.), and the University of Delaware’s Cinema Symphony Series. His recent CFI/UD Cinema Symphony Series collaboration, with renowned Nigerian director Tunde Kelani, resulted in a new feature film entitled Cordelia where the UD Symphony Orchestra provided the music for the soundtrack. It received its theatrical premiere on May 15, 2023 at Lincoln Center as part of the African Film Festival: NYC. Amazon Prime will release the film for international distribution in 2024. Another innovative CFI project featured the May 5th, 2022 world premiere of a work by Mark Hagerty entitled United Sounds of America. This powerful commentary on the joys and challenges of the inner-city experience utilizes the poignant poetry of Delaware’s 2015 Poets’ Laureate, Al Mills and Nnamdi Chukwuocha. The album is schedule for release in 2024.

Anderson is in demand as a guest conductor, having worked with ensembles in North and South America, Europe and Asia.  Past guest conducting activities include performances with the Jerusalem Symphony and the Israel Sinfonietta Beer Sheva. In addition to numerous accolades, maestro Anderson received the University of Delaware College of Arts and Science’s 2023 Outstanding Advocacy Award. He is the winner of the American Prize’s 2017 Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award for Concert Programming. With almost 100 world premieres to his credit, maestro Anderson is a champion of today’s leading contemporary composers. Recordings featuring compositions by Robert Moran, David Maslanka, and Daniel Bukvich are available under the Neuma Records, Albany Records and BOOKPEOPLE of Moscow, Inc.

Having served 12 years on the board of directors of the International Conductors Guild, including a term as president, he is now a member of the Advisory Council of that organization, which is devoted to the advancement of the art of conducting and to serving the artistic and professional needs of conductors worldwide.​​