Dennis James ------------ Dennis James has dedicated his professional career to the continuation of the theatrical traditions of organ performance and furthering public interest in the theatre pipe organ. From the time he began concertizing while still in his teens, James has been at the top of the organ profession. He ha played virtually everywhere pipe organs are to be found, from the spectacular movie palaces throughout the United States and Canada to the most prestigious concert halls and theaters in Europe. Born in Philadelphia in 1950, Dennis James began formal organ training in that city at the age of twelve. He attended Indiana University's School of Music as a student of concert and church organ performance, earning his Bachelor's and Master's degrees under the tutelage of Dr. Oswald Ragatz. Highlights of James' professional organist career include his New York City recital debut at St. Patrick's Cathedral and appointment as staff organist at the largest pipe organ in the world--the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ in Philadelphia. He had his organ concerto with orchestra debut with the Chicago Symphony at Orchestra Hall in 1984. His many European concert tours have included several return engagements at Vienna's famed Konzert Haus to perform at the historic 5-manual Rieger concert pipe organ. In 1999, Dennis James began serving three concurrent appointments: House Organist for both the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood and Seattle's Paramount Theatre plus Theatre Organist for the San Diego Symphony. He also appears regularly as silent film organist for the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto, CA and the Uptown Theatre in Calgary, Canada. James' professional career has included other such appointments ranging from house organist at the Lansdowne and Brookline Theaters in Pennsylvania, the Paramount and Rivoli Theaters in Indiana, the final appointed resident organist for the Ohio Theatre in Columbus. He now performs frequently at various California locations including the famous outdoor Spreckels Organ in Balboa Park, San Diego, State Theatre (Monterey), Arlington Theatre (Santa Barbara), Castro Theatre (San Francisco), Paramount Theatre (Oakland) and the Berkeley Community Theatre between national and international tour engagements. James maintains a long-term performing relationship at New York's "Showplace of the Nation"- Radio City Music Hall- that includes solo organ concerts, variety performances, and multiple appearances with orchestras in accompaniment to silent films. James was the premier organist for the West Coast debut of the Radio City Christmas shows at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium performing together with the famed Rockettes. Dennis James has appeared and/or recorded with such performers as Bob Hope, Vincent Price, Ray Bolger, Red Skelton, Michael Feinstein, Philip Glass, Linda Ronstadt, Branford Marsalis, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Olivia DeHavilland, David Niven, Joseph Cotten, E. G. Marshall, Loretta Young and Ginger Rogers. He toured with silent film stars Lillian Gish, Myrna Loy, Fay Wray and Charles 'Buddy' Rogers providing musical accompaniment to revivals of their silent motion pictures. In 2001 he appeared with Philip Glass and his ensemble debuting a commissioned solo theatre organ score for a new silent film. Dennis James' educational activities have included an artist-in-residency at the Flint Institute of Music and the debut Theatre Organ Workshop artist for the Granada Theatre Historical Society. He has served as adjudicator for numerous organ-playing competitions, including the London, England "Young Organist of the Year" plus various American Theatre Organ Society local and national contests. James has seven record album and six compact disc issues to his credit. He has been the subject of several national broadcasts over NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS and NPR radio and television. James has been profiled in a feature television documentary for the Australian Broadcast Commission, played full length solo concerts over national Austrian and Italian television and has appeared on numerous radio broadcasts for the BBC in England, the CBC in Canada, French, Austrian Italian and Belgian national radio networks.