James McElwaine

biography
philosophy
performance
venues/tours
recordings
audio clips

1973–1975

Yehudi Wyner, Susan Davenny Wyner,
and Timothy Paradise
Chamber music of Anton Webern and Yehudi Wyner
Carnegie Recital Hall

1975

Featured soloist, Narragansett Records, Warner Bros., Los Angeles

1977–1982

Musical Elements Chamber Orchestra
Musical Directors: Daniel Asia, Robert Beaser, and Jim McElwaine
One of New York’s premiere contemporary chamber ensembles.
The music of Berio, Nono, Childs, Browne, Wolpe, Mizelle, Stockhausen, and Webern
Carnegie Recital Hall, the Great Hall at Cooper Union, and Sheridan Square Theater

Musical Elements was a very successful experimental group. We emphasized thematic programming and a lively box office dynamic.

1980–1982

The New York Quintet
Keith Underwood, Jim McElwaine, Jonathan Haas, William Moersch, and Dennis Masuzzo
Another of New York’s best innovative chamber groups
The music of Miyoshi, Cionek, Mizelle, and Takemitsu
Japan House, Merkin Hall, and International Percussive Arts Society

The NY 5 (flutes, clarinets and saxophones, percussion, marimba, and double bass) was modelled on Keiko Abe’s Tokyo Quintet. We also made some early beta-recordings for Sony’s then revolutionary F-1 (DASH) digital tape recorder.

1980–1985

John Post Productions, Raw Cream Productions, and NOLA Sound, NYC
Series of TV and radio advertisements and industrial presentations, including KFC, Reebok, Zena, Chrysler, General Foods, National Geographic, Miller, Budweiser, Sears, and Hardee’s

1982–1983

Featured musician, Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies and Muppet Babies’ Talking Books

1982–1995

Ridiculous Theater, Public Theater, The Vineyard Theater, Manhattan Theater Club, Circle in the Square, Criterion Broadway Theater, An American Place Theater, and Fleetwood Stage

Musical Director, Orchestrator, Arranger, Conductor, Performer, Programmer

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestration:
Goblin Market, The Vineyard Theater

19 Obie nominations, 11 Tony nominations

Performances with Joe Papp, Charles Ludlam, Randy Newman, Kevin Kline, Barry Bostwick, Rob Joy, Mark Linn-Baker, Lola Pashalinski, Black-Eyed Susan, Mary Cleere Harran, Des McAnuff, Larry Carpenter, Barry Keating, Rob Lowe, Peggy Shaw, Ann Crumb, Bob Gunther, and Vernel Bagneris

1984–1998

The New York Art Ensemble
Jared Beynon, Edmund Cionek, and Preston Stahly
Artists too numerous to mention
Christ St. Stephen’s Church, Merkin Hall, Kosciusko Foundation, and Bar Harbor Festival

The New York Art Ensemble is a collective of three brilliant composers, who apply their visions and hallucinations to New York’s best musicians in a long-running series of evocative recitals.

1998

Featured soloist, Steven Spielberg’s Casper the Friendly Ghost