Meet the Cone Institute Composers: James Anderson
James Anderson is one of the four composers of the 2016 NJSO Edward T. Cone Composition Institute. Read a Q&A with Anderson and learn more about Places with Pillars, which the NJSO presents as part of Scores: New Orchestral Works on July 16 at 8 pm at the Richardson Auditorium in Princeton.
How did your musical/compositional journey begin?
Before I could even read, my father showed me how to understand musical notation and play the guitar.
What key experiences have shaped your path as a composer?
By middle school, I was immersed in jazz and rock and roll, forming my own bands and writing songs. A new world of musical creation was opened to me in high school, when I learned how music theory works, and I grew to love the classical repertoire. My high-school band teacher was also a composer, and he inspired me to pursue my degrees in composition. In my BM and MM degrees, I was fortunate to study composition with such superb and encouraging teachers as Roger Briggs, Bruce Hamilton, Michael Daugherty and Evan Chambers.
How would you describe your compositional style, and what inspires you?
I consider my musical style to be modernist, although not in the strict sense of the Darmstadt School. My music has tonal implications and gestures associated with some older repertoire, but I still use freely atonal composition much of the time. As to my inspiration, I come from the Pacific Northwest, a place with great natural beauty, and this has a profound impact on my work.
What has been your proudest experience as a composer?
The occasions when a person who has heard or performed my music has told me, sometimes even with a hug, that he or she had a strong emotional connection with my work.
What attracted you to the NJSO Edward T. Cone Composition Institute? What do you hope to gain from the experience?
I am thrilled to work with such inspiring and distinguished artists as Steven Mackey and David Robertson, and to have the opportunity to hear my work performed by such a stellar orchestra. I know that I will come away from this experience with many new insights into my craft.
Places with Pillars: In the Composer’s Words
The title Places with Pillars does not necessarily refer to the physical pillars of the Parthenon or a courthouse edifice. There are also the pillars that people strive to build in their lives: pillars of material success and of social status, while others may cling to the pillars of established institutions and dogmas. Still others seek different ways to find meaning, looking out at the mountains or over the vast ocean, perhaps even withdrawing into the life of a recluse. This orchestral composition explores different aspects of our experiences with these multifaceted phenomena through a variety of musical means: imposing orchestral fanfares, blaring brass instruments, virtuosic timpani solos, an introverted passage for woodwinds and the searching voice of a solo violin.
About the Composer
James Anderson is a composer in both acoustic and electroacoustic media, as well as a guitarist. He is pursuing a Master of Music in Composition at the University of Michigan, studying with Michael Daugherty and Evan Chambers. In 2014, he received a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition at Western Washington University, studying with Roger Briggs and Bruce Hamilton. His music has been featured in the 2014 Electroacoustic InterExchange in Seattle and the 2014 Midwest Composers Symposium. He also is involved with building community as a member of the University of Michigan residential staff. In his spare time, he enjoys kayaking and hiking through the Cascades.