Article

James Campbell

Published Online May 15, 2007

Last Edited January 8, 2014

James (Kenneth) Campbell. Clarinetist, teacher, b Leduc, near Edmonton, 10 Aug 1949; B MUS (Toronto) 1971. He studied at the Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara, Cal, and in Paris 1971-3 with Yona Ettlinger.

James (Kenneth) Campbell. Clarinetist, teacher, b Leduc, near Edmonton, 10 Aug 1949; B MUS (Toronto) 1971. He studied at the Music Academy of the West, Santa Barbara, Cal, and in Paris 1971-3 with Yona Ettlinger. A semi-finalist in the Budapest International Clarinet Competition in 1970, he also won the CBC Talent Festival and the JM International Clarinet Competition in Yugoslavia in 1971. In 1972 he represented Canada at the 26th Congress of the International Federation of JMat Augsburg. He was a member 1967-9 of the Hamilton Philharmonic and, in 1968 and 1969, of the NYO.

Campbell has performed widely throughout Canada and the USA and has played in major centres in Europe, South America, and China. He has been a soloist with the TSO (including performances of Copland's Clarinet Concerto under the baton of the composer in 1978 and 1979), the NACO, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonia, and many other orchestras. As a chamber musician, Campbell was a founderand a member of Camerata (1974-85) and of the Arioso Trio (1975-81). He played 1980-6 with the Toronto Chamber Winds and has been a member of the Bath International Ensemble, Da Camera, and the Toronto Septet. He has collaborated with the Allegri, Amadeus, Fine Arts, Guarneri, Manhattan, Orford, and Varsovia string quartets and has performed with Elly Ameling, Glenn Gould, Menahem Pressler, Janos Starker and many other leading musicians. In 1984 he began an association with the jazz pianist Gene DiNovi, appearing with him in 'crossover' concerts. Campbell became artistic director of the Festival of the Sound in 1985. He has been broadcast on radio and television in Canada and abroad. His recording Stolen Gems received a Juno Award for best classical album (solo or chamber ensemble) in 1986. In 1987, while maintaining his international concert career, Campbell began teaching at Indiana U. The Canadian Music Council named him artist of the year in 1989. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in July, 1997.

Writings

James Campbell, A Student's Guide to the Clarinet (Agincourt, Ont 1980)