James Barnes

James Barnes

James Charles Barnes was born on September 9, 1949, in Hobart, OK. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in theory and composition from the University of Kansas in 1974 and 1975 and studied conducting privately with Zuohuang Chen. Since 1977, he has been affiliated with the University of Kansas and is presently a member of the History and Theory-Composition faculties, teaching orchestration and composition courses. At KU, he served as an Assistant, and later, as Associate Director of Bands for 27 years.

His numerous publications for concert band and orchestra are extensively performed in the United States, Europe, and the Pacific Basin. His works have been performed at Tanglewood, Boston Symphony Hall, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

He is also a tubist and has performed with numerous professional organizations.

He has written over 45 works for band, most notably Brookshire Suite, Centennial Celebration Overture, Fantasy Variations on a Theme by Nicolo Pagannini, Heatherwood Portrait, and Invocation and Toccata.

He has recorded three commercial compact discs of his music with the world famous Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra. More recently, he completed a CD of his works with the Koninklijke Militaire Kapel (The Queen's Royal Military Band) in Holland.

He has also been commissioned to compose works for all five of the major military bands in Washington, DC. A recent CD by the United States Air Force Band features his Third Symphony.

Barnes has twice received the coveted American Bandmasters Association Ostwald Award for outstanding contemporary wind band music. He has been the recipient of numerous ASCAP Awards for composers of serious music, the Kappa Kappa Psi Distinguished Service to Music Medal, the Bohumil Makovsky Award for Outstanding College Band Conductors, along with numerous other honors and grants.

Mr. Barnes has traveled extensively as a guest composer, conductor, and lecturer throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, Japan and Taiwan. He is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), the American Bandmasters Association and numerous other professional organizations and societies. Since 1984, his music has been published exclusively by Southern Music Company of San Antonio, Texas.