Artistic Director

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. Since retiring from Indiana University in 2022 James has been busy with an international performance schedule. 2024 will mark his 40th year as Artistic Director for Festival of the Sound. James continues to work tirelessly developing young artists and audiences while programming dozens of must-attend concerts each year.