James Beauton
- Percussion
Contact
Departments
Pre-College
Education
DMA, UC San Diego
MM, SUNY Stony Brook
BM, Michigan State University
Ensembles
San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, percussionist
Winchester Orchestra of San Jose, Music Director
red fish blue fish, percussionist (2015-2020)
Q&A
What is your hometown?
Detroit, MI
What is your favorite recording? Why?
Carlos Kleiber's Tristan und Isolde with Staatskapelle Dresden
Who were your major teachers?
Steven Schick (percussion), John Mario Di Constanzo (conducting)
What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?
That every day is an audition for the rest of your life.
What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?
How can I practice more efficiently?
What was a turning point in your career?
When I was offered the Music Director position at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts
If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?
Some other kind of art, probably a visual art like drawing
If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?
Bach, Beethoven, Wagner
What is your unrealized project?
A transcription/orchestration of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild score for wind ensemble (performance scheduled for June 2020 canceled)
What do you think makes a concert experience unique?
The shared connection between audience and musicians
Please list your most important collaborations.
1. Creating the first live performance score (and premiering) the DreamWorks' She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Symphonic Suite alongside composer Sunna Wehrmeijer
2. Conducting the Nick DiBerardino Double Percussion Concerto with Arx Duo and the Mission Chamber Orchestra
3. Performing Pierre Boulez's Repons as soloist (vibraphone) with Steven Schick conducting
Biography
Conductor and Percussionist James Beauton is currently the Director of Orchestra and Classical Music Studies at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts in San Francisco. 2023-24 marked his debut season as the Music Director and Conductor of the Winchester Orchestra of San Jose. He also holds faculty positions at San Francisco State University and the San Francisco Conservatory Pre-College.
As a concert percussionist, James was the grand prize winner of the 2012 Southern California International Marimba Competition, and performed as a member of Steven Schick’s renowned percussion ensemble, red fish blue fish, from 2015-2020. He now performs regularly as a member of the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players.
James earned his Doctorate in Contemporary Music Performance from UC San Diego, a Masters in Percussion from SUNY Stony Brook, and a Bachelors of Music from Michigan State University. James is a Yamaha Performing Artist.