James Campbell, Artistic Director
Dubbed “Canada’s premier clarinetist” by the Ottawa Citizen, James Campbell has performed as soloist and chamber musician in over 35 countries with over 60 orchestras including the Boston Pops, Montreal Symphony and the London Symphony. He has collaborated with Glenn Gould and Aaron Copland and toured with over 35 string quartets, including the Guarneri, Amadeus and Vermeer. Of his over 40 recordings, the BBC and the Times of London rated his recording of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet as the best available and his CD Stolen Gems (Marquis Records) won a JUNO. He has been named Canada’s Artist of the Year, awarded the Queen’s Gold and Diamond Jubilee Medal, an Honourary Doctor of Law, and the Order of Canada. James Campbell has been Artistic Director of the Festival of the Sound since 1985 and was Professor of Music at the famed Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University from 1988-2019 and continues to give masterclasses worldwide.
Director’s Message – 2019
Dear Friends,
We’re having a 40th-anniversary party and you’re invited! We’ve also invited as many friends as we could to celebrate with us, including my colleagues from festivals across Canada and around the world.
40 years in the future seems a lot further away than 40 years in the past. I wonder if that group of local music enthusiasts who attended the exploratory concert presented by Anton Kuerti on August 5, 1979, could have imagined the Festival of the Sound as it is today. Could they have imagined that the Festival would now be the second-largest economic generator in the area?
You may notice that we have a Celebration Day planned for August 9th. Is it a series of concerts or is it a day-long party? Don’t miss this fun-filled day of music, an event only the Festival of the Sound could dream up.
It is hard to thank everyone who has played an important role in the Festival’s success, but I will try: thanks to Board members, volunteers, staff, artists, funding agencies, corporate sponsors, individual sponsors and donors, composers and of course, our loyal audience.
Come to the party!!
James Campbell
Artistic Director