Biography
One of the world’s leading choral conductors, music pedagogy authors, and recording artist’s with over 60 books and publications calls Westminster Choir College home. Dr. James Jordan leads the largest and most respected graduate programs in choral conducting in the country. As a Grammy-nominated conductor he is recognized and praised throughout the musical world as one of America’s preeminent conductors, recording artists, writers, music psychologists and innovators in choral music. His innovations in both choral pedagogy and conducting pedagogy have been lauded worldwide, and he has effectively led changes in choral conducting and pedagogy that have impacted choral music around the world. He was described as a “visionary” by the Choral Journal, which cited his book Evoking Sound as a “must read.” His more than 60 books explore both the philosophical and spiritual basis of musicianship, as well as aspects of choral rehearsal teaching and learning, and they are considered to be essential references in the conducting profession. He is Professor Director of Choral Studies at Westminster Choir College, holds the Scheide Chair in Conducting, and serves as the 7th conductor of the 103-year old Westminster Choir and the world renowned Westminster Symphonic Choir. Prior to these conducting responsibilities, he conducted both the Chapel Choir and the Schola Cantorum. His 12 years conducting the Westminster Williamson Voices established that choir as one of the most admired and reviewed choral ensembles in the world, with 10 CD’s to its credit. The choir, under his direction, was called “the Rolls Royce of Choirs” by King’s College Conductor Daniel Hyde. Their Grammy-nominated recording of James Whitbourn’s portraiture seminal work, Annelies (Naxos) is one of the most performed choral works in the world. He was also director of the Westminster Conducting Institute. He is artistic director and conductor of the professional choral ensemble, The Same Stream.
His recordings with the Westminster Williamson Voices have garnered wide critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. Choir and Organ wrote about their Grammy-nominated recording Annelies, “Jordan’s instinctive understanding of the score makes this a profound and emotionally charged experience.” 2023-24 will mark the release of 3 significant CD’s under his direction; The 30th Anniversary Recording of the Westminster Evening of Readings and Carols, a unique recording of the Mozart Requiem with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Manfred Hoenig conductor, and the 100th Anniversary recording of the Westminster Choir, A Serenity of Soul. The 15 CD’s under his direction are available through iTunes and Amazon. His work with The Same Stream Choir can also be seen in a video documentary and profile released by J.W. Pepper and available for viewing at thesamestreamchoir.com. He has premiered over 60 works in his time at Westminster, featuring the works of Ames, Mealor, Hill, Duckworth, Forrest, Whitbourn, Waldenby, Mantyjarvi, Lavoy, Scheibe and Relph. Passionately advocating for the mentoring and supporting of composers, especially young composers, has also been a focus of his career. He is Executive Editor of both the Evoking Sound Choral Series and The Music from Westminster Choral series which has over 300 published editions. He has also assembled one of the most completed online resources for Conducting Pedagogy and Choral Pedagogy on the Giamusic.com website: The Virtual Classroom. His philosophies and teachings are documented on the popular podcast, Luminous, and he serves as one of the hosts on the Nationally syndicated radio programs, Sounds Choral on WWFM, The Classical Network.
As a music psychologist specializing in music teaching and learning, Dr. Jordan’s career and publications have been devoted to innovative educational changes in the choral art, which have been embraced around the world. His seminal work, Inside the Choral Rehearsal is a landmark book applying the Music Learning Theory of Edwin Gordon to the choral rehearsal. 2023 will see the release of two innovative books advocating pedagogical change in the pedagogy of the choral rehearsal: Intonational Solfege and The Essential Choral Warm-Up (GIA).
Seminars and workshops have taken him throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia at Institutions from The Curtis Institute of Music, The University of Arizona, The University of Utah to residencies at the country’s major choral programs. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2015, conducting the New York premiere of Paul Mealor’s Stabat Mater. In November 2015, Dr. Jordan conducted the world premiere of Paul Mealor’s First Symphony: Passiontide, in Scotland. In 2016, he conducted the Westminster Williamson Voices, the first college choir to appear in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s MetLiveArts series, in a performance of the virtuosic Kanon Pokajanen by Arvo Pärt.
James Jordan has been honored as a distinguished alumnus of Temple University, where he has been inducted into the University’s Hall of Fame. In 2016, he received the distinguished alumni medal from Susquehanna University. He was awarded the distinguished Doctor of Music degree by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland in 2014 to honor his artistry and contributions to choral music throughout the world. The University, established in 1485, has awarded degrees throughout its history to only two Americans: Dr. Jordan and Morten Lauridsen. He shares this honor with Gustav Holst, Benjamin Britten and Dame Joan Sutherland.