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James Culley
Percussion

James Culley was born in Hamilton, Ohio, and grew up in Cincinnati. He received the Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory, the Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics (Latin) from Oberlin College, and a master's degree from the Eastman School of Music. He joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music in 1979 as an original member of Percussion Group Cincinnati. The Group's daily rehearsal schedule is supplemented with the teaching and coaching of young musicians, many of whom have gone on to professional careers in creative music, in teaching, and with major symphony orchestras. Appearances in their national and international touring schedule have included the major cities, festivals, concert halls and schools of America, Europe and Asia-- recently at the 2005 Percussion Festivals in Shanghai and Singapore.

In addition to community concerts, workshops, and masterclasses, the Group regularly appears as concerto soloists with symphony orchestras, and has presented their program "Music from Scratch" to hundreds of thousands of children across the US. Percussion Group Cincinnati is particularly respected for its knowledge of, and experience with, the music of John Cage, John Luther Adams, Qu Xiao-Song, and Lou Harrison.

Culley also has directed the CCM's Percussion Ensemble for the past 28 years; the student group promotes new works by CCM student composers and specializes in performances of unconducted, full-score pieces. They have performed at several Percussive Arts Society International Conventions and are featured on Larry Austin's recording of Ives' Universe Symphony (Centaur). In 1998, he received CCM's Ernest Glover Outstanding Faculty award. Culley has performed as extra percussionist in the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Opera orchestras and freelances as timpanist and percussionist in area orchestras. In May of 2006 he performed as soloist with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, presenting Tan Dun's Water Concerto.

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