Composer James Holt writes music for a wide variety of mixed and standard chamber ensembles, orchestra, wind ensemble, solo instruments, and works featuring voice and modern dance.  His music has been performed across the United States and in England, including recent and upcoming performances in New York City, Washington DC, and San Francisco. 

James’ music has been commissioned and performed by ensembles and performers such as the Verdehr Trio, Tonus Percussion Group, Tosca String Quartet, Attacca Percussion Group, Sqwonk, REDSHIFT, Composer’s Concordance, violinist Ben Sung (concertmaster, Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra) clarinetist Jorge Montilla (Principal clarinet, Simon Bolivar Orchestra), and modern dance choreographer Laura Poole (Indiana University, School of Kinesiology).   

His creative residencies have spanned across the country, including Yaddo and Centrum, and he has twice been guest composer with Ensemble Eleven in Manchester, England.  James has studied at the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Bang on a Can Summer Institute of Music, and was co-founder of two contemporary chamber ensembles in Washington that continue to be dedicated to the promotion and performance of new music by living composers. James taught as an Associate Instructor of Composition at Indiana University, where he was also Assistant Director of the IU New Music Ensemble and President of the Student Composer’s Association. 

His teachers have included Claude Baker, Sven-David Sandström, Don Freund, David Dzubay, Syd Hodkinson, and Roger Briggs, as well as master classes with Tristan Murail, Jin Hi Kim, David Maslanka, Harvey Sollberger, Melinda Wagner, David Lang, John Harbison, Chris Rouse, and Steve Mackey.  He recently received a Doctor of Music in Composition from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and is currently living and composing in New York, New York.