James M. Stephenson

James M. Stephenson (born February 4, 1969), also known as Jim Stephenson, is an American composer known for writing contemporary classical music. He has written a number of works for large ensembles as well as chamber music and solo works.

In addition to his career as a composer, Stephenson is also active as an arranger and conductor.

Biography James M. Stephenson was born in Joliet, Illinois, and began playing trumpet at the age of 9. He stayed in the Midwest and attended the Interlochen Arts Academy until college, where he attended the New England Conservatory of Music for a degree in trumpet performance. At NEC, his teachers were Charles Schlueter, Gilbert Johnson, and John Lindenau. Following graduation in 1990, Stephenson joined the trumpet section of the Naples Philharmonic, a position he held for 17 seasons.

As a member of the Naples Philharmonic Brass Quintet, he volunteered his time to begin arranging works for the groups. The Naples Philharmonic pops conductor, Erich Kunzel, took notice of this and asked Stephenson to arrange a work for orchestra. This initial decision, led to a hobby of arranging that turned into composing original music, which resulted in another career over the course of 14 years. In 2007, Stephenson made a career transition from full time trumpet player to composer and conductor. With over 300 works in his catalog, he attributes his time as an orchestral player to having a strong influence on his voice as a composer, and giving him a deep knowledge of how the instruments connect and work together.

Career Most of his new works were the results of commissions, allowing Stephenson to work with orchestras and performers around the country, on both his new works and existing arrangements.

Stephenson was Composer-in-Residence with the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestras for ten seasons, from 2010 to 2020. and National Band Association William D. Revelli Memorial Composition Contest in 2017. "Liquid Melancholy — Clarinet Music of James M Stephenson" (Cedille Records) recorded by John Bruce Yeh and Lake Forest Symphony was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Classical.

Selected compositions

Opera

Cåraboo, an opera in one act (2023)

Ballet

Wooden Dimes (2022) Princess and the Pea (2025)

Brass Band

A Tribute to Louis Armstrong, for solo cornet and brass band (2007); also arranged for solo trumpet and orchestra Concerto No. 2 for Trumpet "Rextreme" (2010) American Fanfare (2015) RiverField (2023)

Orchestra

Full Orchestra

Legend of Sleepy Hollow, for orchestra and narrator (1996); also available for chamber orchestra and narrator, and concert band and narrator American Fanfare (1999); won the 1999 Florida Orchestra Fanfare Competition. Also arranged for brass band, wind ensemble, and grade 3 concert band Stars and Stripes Fanfare (arr. 2007); also available for concert band and trumpet ensemble Celestial Suite (2013) there are no words (2015); also available for chamber orchestra, concert band, and mixed chamber ensemble Taps (arr. 2016); also available for solo trombone and trombone ensemble, concert band, and cello ensemble CitySpeaks, for orchestra and spoken-word artist (2019) Symphony No. 3 (2019) Fanfare for Democracy (2021); also available for concert band Wooden Dimes: Ballet Suite (2022) Symphony No. 2: VOICES (2023) You have reached city limits (2024)

Chamber Orchestra

Legend of Sleepy Hollow, for chamber orchestra and narrator (2004) Chamber Concerto for Orchestra (2009) Celebration Overture (2010) there are no words (2015) SCRAM!, for chamber orchestra (2022) Persephone, for 13-member chamber ensemble (2023) The Planets, adapted for chamber orchestra and SSA chorus (2024)

String Orchestra

Printemps (2004) The Storyteller, for trumpet and string orchestra (2013); also available for solo trumpet with wind ensemble, concert band, brass quintet, and original chamber version Gavotte Goes Up, for middle school string orchestra (2018) Together (2018)

Concertos

Brass

Concerto in D (Vivaldi/Bach, arr. Stephenson), for piccolo trumpet, strings, and continuo (2001) Concerto No. 1, for trumpet and orchestra (2003); also available for trumpet and wind ensemble Concerto for piano, trumpet, and strings (2007) La Grande Vitesse: A Triple Brass Concerto, for trumpet, French horn, and trombone with orchestra (2009) Sonata Rhapsody “The Arch,” for bass trombone and orchestra (2009); also available for bass trombone and wind ensemble Concerto Braziliano, for trombone and chamber orchestra (2010); also available for trombone and wind ensemble Concerto No. 2 for Trumpet "Rextreme" (2010); also available for trumpet and wind ensemble, trumpet and brass band Sounds Awakened: Concerto for french horn and orchestra (2012) Concerto No. 3 “Concerto for Hope,” for trumpet and orchestra (2016); also available for trumpet and wind ensemble Concerto Rhasody “The Arch,” for bass trombone and orchestra (2017); also available for bass trombone and wind ensemble Concerto for bass trombone and orchestra (2018) PILLARS: Concerto for low brass and orchestra (2018)

Woodwinds

Cousins, for trumpet and saxophone with orchestra (2007) Concerto for Flute "Pandora's Box," for flute and orchestra (2010) Duels and Dances, for oboe and chamber orchestra (2011) Liquid Melancholy, for clarinet and orchestra (2011)

Piano

Concerto for piano, trumpet, and strings (2007) Concerto for piano and orchestra (2021)

Strings

Concerto Fantasie, for violin (2005) Concerto for Violin “Tributes” (2009)

Additional

Concerto for cell phone (2006)

Young Audience

Compose Yourself!, for full orchestra or 15-player chamber ensemble (2002) ROCOmotive, for chamber orchestra (2019) Once Upon a Symphony, an educational program for full orchestra or chamber ensemble (2021)

Wind ensemble/concert band

American Fanfare (2006) Symphony No. 1 (2006) Interprid Promise (2012) Symphony No. 2: VOICES (2016); winner of the ABA Ostwald Award and the NBA William D. Revelli Memorial Composition Contest Celebration Overture (2018) Chorale in Blue (2018) In the Moment (2018) Requiem Dances (2018) Exhale! (2020) Voyages: Concerto for Brass Ensemble (2020) Eyes on the Bison (2021) Fanfare for Democracy (2021) Concerto for Wind Ensemble (2022) Lonesome Valley Folk Suite (2022) Hymn for US (2023) Sunburst Fanfare (2023) Symphony No. 4 (2023) Declaration (2024) Genesis (2024) RiverField (2024)

Concertos

Brass

Sonata No. 1, for trumpet and wind ensemble (2001) Concerto No. 1, for trumpet and wind ensemble (2003) Sonata Rhapsody “The Arch,” for bass trombone and wind ensemble (2009) Concerto Braziliano, for trombone and wind ensemble (2010) Concerto No. 2 for Trumpet "Rextreme" (2010) Dodecafecta, for solo brass quintet and wind ensemble (2010) Sounds Awakened: Concerto for french horn and wind ensemble (2012) A Little R&R, for two solo trumpets and wind ensemble (2013) It's About Time, for two solo trumpets and wind ensemble (2013) Three Bones Concerto, for three solo trombones and wind ensemble (2013) Hanging by a Thread, for solo trumpet, solo tuba, and wind ensemble (2014) Vast and Curious, for French horn, tuba, and wind ensemble (2014) Spinning Wheel, for trumpet and wind ensemble (2015) Concerto Grosso, for flute, alto saxophone, bass trombone, and marimba with wind ensemble (2016) Concerto for Piccolo Trumpet with wind ensemble (2016) Concerto No. 3 “Concerto for Hope,” for trumpet and wind ensemble (2016) Concerto Rhasody “The Arch,” for bass trombone and wind ensemble (2017)

Woodwinds

Duels and Dances, for oboe and wind ensemble (2011) Concerto Grosso, for flute, alto saxophone, bass trombone, and marimba with wind ensemble (2016) Möbius Trip, for alto saxophone and wind ensemble (2017) Code of Conduct, for saxophone with wind ensemble (2022)

Percussion

Concerto Grosso, for flute, alto saxophone, bass trombone, and marimba with wind ensemble (2016) Perpetual Notion, for solo percussion and wind ensemble (2019)

Guitar

Unfrettered, for guitar and wind ensemble (2020)

Additional

Concerto for cell phone (2006)

Adaptable Ensemble (Flex)

Loop D Loop – adaptable (2018), for 5-part adaptable ensemble + optional percussion 2/2 Tango – adaptable (2020), for 5-part adaptable ensemble + optional percussion Fiesta! – adaptable (2020), for 2-part adaptable ensemble + optional percussion Holiday Carol Medley – adaptable (2020), for 5-part adaptable ensemble No Thing Can Die as Others Do – adaptable (2020), for 5-part adaptable ensemble Reflections – adaptable (2020), for 3-part adaptable ensemble Ubi Caritas – adaptable (2020), for 5-part adaptable ensemble + two solo instruments or voices May the Road Rise to Meet You – adaptable (2021), for flexible band, orchestra, or choir

Chorus

No Thing Can Die as Others Do, for SATB choir (2014) Cantata for the Unsung, for soprano, tenor, children's chorus, and orchestra (2016) Life Has Loveliness to Sell, for SAT chorus, concert band, and optional strings (2018) Peace on Earth, for youth choir and piano (2018) Working Together, for SATB chorus and concert band (2022) The Planets, adapted for chamber orchestra and SSA chorus (2024)

Selected discography

Albums Colors Last Chants Fantasie Etude Caprice Bagatelle As the Fireflies Watched Suite of Suites Spinning Wheel Scram!