James K. Wright

James Kenneth Wright (born 1959) is a Canadian composer, pianist, and musicologist. His notable compositions include works such as Letters to the Immortal Beloved, and his award-winning books include Schoenberg, Wittgenstein and the Vienna Circle, They Shot, He Scored: the Life and Music of Eldon Rathburn, Monstrosity, Identity and Music: Mediating Uncanny Creatures from Frankenstein to Videogames, and Music and Antifascism: Cultures of Resistance in Europe and North America. Education Wright completed a Bachelor of Music degree at Wilfrid Laurier University in 1981, followed by a Master of Arts in Music Theory at McGill University in 1987. In 2002, he earned a Ph.D. in Music Theory from McGill University, where he received a Governor General’s gold medal for his research and scholarly record. Career Wright is a professor in the School for Studies in Art & Culture and the College of the Humanities at Carleton University. In June of 2025, James Wright was awarded the King Charles III Coronation medal for his contribution to music in Canada. Compositions and books Wright’s music has been published by Warner-Chappell Music in Miami, Leslie Music in Oakville, Cypress Music in Vancouver