James DePreist
Encyclopedia
James Anderson DePreist (born November 21, 1936; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
) is an American
conductor
. One of the few African American
conductors on the world stage, he is currently the director of conducting and orchestral studies at the Juilliard School
and laureate music director of the Oregon Symphony
.
, his mother's sister. He has served for more than three decades in multiple roles as Music Director of Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
, the Malmö Symphony Orchestra
in Sweden, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
and the Oregon Symphony
.
As guest conductor, DePreist has appeared with every major North American orchestra. He has also led orchestras in Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Manchester, Melbourne, Munich, Prague, Rome, Rotterdam, Seoul, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Tokyo and Vienna. He made his London debut with the London Symphony Orchestra
at the Barbican Arts Centre in April 2005.
James DePreist appears regularly at the Aspen Music Festival, the Boston Symphony Orchestra
at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood
, the Philadelphia Orchestra
at the Mann Music Center and the Juilliard Orchestra.
DePreist has more than 50 recordings to his credit. His varied repertoire includes a celebrated Shostakovich symphony series with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
, as well as fifteen recordings with the Oregon Symphony
. One of his signature works, Sergei Rachmaninoff
's Symphony No. 2
, is available in a recording with the Oregon Symphony. His latest recording, of Gustav Mahler
's Fifth Symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra, came out in December 2006 to somewhat mixed reviews.
DePreist studied composition with Vincent Persichetti
at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music, going on to earn bachelor's degree at the University of Pennsylvania
's Wharton School and a Master's degree from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania
. In 1962 while on a State Department tour in Bangkok, he contracted polio. However he recovered sufficiently, allowing him to enter and to ultimately claim first prize gold medal in the Dimitris Mitropoulos International Conducting Competition
. He was then chosen by Leonard Bernstein
to become assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic
during the 1965-66 season. DePreist made his highly-acclaimed European debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic in 1969. In 1971, Antal Doráti
named him associate conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.
and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music
(Kungl. Musikaliska Akademien). He was named the Laureate Music Director for the Oregon Symphony
. He is a recipient of the Insignia of Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland
, the Medal of the City of Québec and an Officer of the Order of Cultural Merit
of Monaco. He received the Ditson Conductor's Award
in 2000. In 2005, President George W. Bush
presented him with the National Medal of Arts
, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence.
as the permanent conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
, his name and likeness were used in the Japanese manga
and anime
, Nodame Cantabile
, in which he was the musical director of the fictional Roux-Marlet Orchestra, and hired the series protagonist Shinichi Chiaki as the Orchestra's new resident conductor. DePreist also conducted the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra to provide the music for both the anime and the live action drama.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
. One of the few African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
conductors on the world stage, he is currently the director of conducting and orchestral studies at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
and laureate music director of the Oregon Symphony
Oregon Symphony
The Oregon Symphony is an American orchestra based in Portland, Oregon. Founded as the Portland Symphony Society in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States...
.
Biography
DePreist was born in Philadelphia to James (died 1942) and Ethel Anderson DePreist (1902–1990), and is the nephew of contralto Marian AndersonMarian Anderson
Marian Anderson was an African-American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century...
, his mother's sister. He has served for more than three decades in multiple roles as Music Director of Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Orchestre Symphonique de Québec
Orchestre symphonique de Québec is a Canadian symphony orchestra based in Quebec City. Founded in 1902 as the Société symphonique de Québec, the OSQ is the oldest active Canadian orchestra. Joseph Vézina was the OSQ's first music director, from 1902 to 1924...
, the Malmö Symphony Orchestra
Malmö Symphony Orchestra
The Malmö Symphony Orchestra is a Swedish orchestra, based in Malmö. Since 1985, the orchestra has given its main concert series in the Konserthuset, Malmö. The orchestra has a current complement of 94 musicians...
in Sweden, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra
The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra is the main orchestra in the principality of Monaco...
and the Oregon Symphony
Oregon Symphony
The Oregon Symphony is an American orchestra based in Portland, Oregon. Founded as the Portland Symphony Society in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States...
.
As guest conductor, DePreist has appeared with every major North American orchestra. He has also led orchestras in Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Manchester, Melbourne, Munich, Prague, Rome, Rotterdam, Seoul, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Tokyo and Vienna. He made his London debut with the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
at the Barbican Arts Centre in April 2005.
James DePreist appears regularly at the Aspen Music Festival, the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood
Tanglewood
Tanglewood is an estate and music venue in Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, and has been the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home since 1937. It was the venue of the Berkshire Festival.- History...
, the Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
at the Mann Music Center and the Juilliard Orchestra.
DePreist has more than 50 recordings to his credit. His varied repertoire includes a celebrated Shostakovich symphony series with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra
The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Helsinki, Finland...
, as well as fifteen recordings with the Oregon Symphony
Oregon Symphony
The Oregon Symphony is an American orchestra based in Portland, Oregon. Founded as the Portland Symphony Society in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States...
. One of his signature works, Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
's Symphony No. 2
Symphony No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)
Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27 is a music piece by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, created in 1906–07. The premiere was conducted by the composer himself in St. Petersburg on 8 February 1908. Its duration is approximately 60 minutes when performed uncut; cut performances can be as...
, is available in a recording with the Oregon Symphony. His latest recording, of Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
's Fifth Symphony with the London Symphony Orchestra, came out in December 2006 to somewhat mixed reviews.
DePreist studied composition with Vincent Persichetti
Vincent Persichetti
Vincent Ludwig Persichetti was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, Persichetti was a native of Philadelphia...
at the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music, going on to earn bachelor's degree at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
's Wharton School and a Master's degree from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania
Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania
The Annenberg School for Communication is the communications school at the University of Pennsylvania. The school was established in 1958 by Wharton School's alum Walter Annenberg as "The Annenberg School of Communications." The name was changed to its current title in the late 1980's.Walter...
. In 1962 while on a State Department tour in Bangkok, he contracted polio. However he recovered sufficiently, allowing him to enter and to ultimately claim first prize gold medal in the Dimitris Mitropoulos International Conducting Competition
Dimitris Mitropoulos
Dimitri Mitropoulos , was a Greek conductor, pianist, and composer. Also known as Dimitris Mitropoulos.-Life and career:Mitropoulos was born in Athens, the son of Yannis and Angeliki Mitropoulos. His father owned a leather goods shop at No. 15, St Marks Street. He was musically precocious,...
. He was then chosen by Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
to become assistant conductor of the New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
during the 1965-66 season. DePreist made his highly-acclaimed European debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic in 1969. In 1971, Antal Doráti
Antal Doráti
Antal Doráti, KBE was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1947.-Biography:...
named him associate conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Awards
DePreist has been awarded thirteen honorary doctorates. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music
Royal Swedish Academy of Music
The Royal Swedish Academy of Music or Kungl. Musikaliska Akademien, founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden...
(Kungl. Musikaliska Akademien). He was named the Laureate Music Director for the Oregon Symphony
Oregon Symphony
The Oregon Symphony is an American orchestra based in Portland, Oregon. Founded as the Portland Symphony Society in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States...
. He is a recipient of the Insignia of Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland
Order of the Lion of Finland
There are three official orders in Finland: the Order of the Cross of Liberty, the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland . The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor, a...
, the Medal of the City of Québec and an Officer of the Order of Cultural Merit
Order of Cultural Merit (Monaco)
The Order of Cultural Merit is the fourth highest Order of the Principality of Monaco. The order was established by HSH Rainier III, Prince of Monaco on 31 December 1952 by Sovereign Order 689. It is awarded to recognize those who have made a distinctive contribution to the arts, letters or...
of Monaco. He received the Ditson Conductor's Award
Ditson Conductor's Award
The Ditson Conductor's Award, established in 1945, is the oldest award honoring conductors for their commitment to the performance of American music. The US$5,000 purse endowed by the Alice M. Ditson Fund at Columbia University was increased in 1999 from US$1,000.Upon the death of Alice M. Ditson,...
in 2000. In 2005, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
presented him with the National Medal of Arts
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. It is the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people. Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the...
, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence.
In popular culture
During DePreist's stay in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as the permanent conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
The , also known as Tokyō , is one of the representative symphony orchestras of Japan. The Orchestra was founded in 1965 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, to commemorate the Tokyo Olympics ....
, his name and likeness were used in the Japanese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, Nodame Cantabile
Nodame Cantabile
is a manga by Tomoko Ninomiya. It was serialized in Japan by Kodansha in the magazine Kiss from July 2001 to October 2009 and collected in 23 tankōbon volumes. A two-volume sequel, called Nodame Cantabile: Opera Chapter, which began serialization in the 10 December 2009 issue of Kiss, was released...
, in which he was the musical director of the fictional Roux-Marlet Orchestra, and hired the series protagonist Shinichi Chiaki as the Orchestra's new resident conductor. DePreist also conducted the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra to provide the music for both the anime and the live action drama.
External links
- James DePriest interview by Bruce Duffie