James M. Stephenson

James M. Stephenson (born February 4, 1969), also known as Jim Stephenson, is an American composer known for his versatility in writing contemporary classical music. His catalog spans across ensembles, with a significant number of works written for large ensembles (orchestra, opera, ballet, brass band, wind ensemble, and chorus) 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 orche