about

James Dawson is a composer, producer, and artistic director from Cincinnati, Ohio. His love of storytelling is audible across his music, from his “symphonic rock” songs to his orchestral works. His music is almost always programmatic, whether the program is as broad as an idea or a vignette from his life, or as specific as a character in a book. He frequently writes chamber pieces and songs based on science fiction novels that explore their characters’ connections to the changing people and world around them.

Currently, James studies at Berklee College of Music and will graduate with a Bachelor’s of Music in Contemporary Writing and Production in May 2026. During his time at Berklee, he has written and arranged for large ensembles and orchestras, both live and recorded. His songs and other produced work often utilizes hybrid production, creating large symphonic sounds from a combination of MIDI and a handful of live instruments.

At Berklee, James’s interest in project management and concert operations led him to the World Music Scoring Association. James has served as the treasurer of WMSA for over a year. In addition to hosting weekly speakers, WMSA hosts a semesterly concert that premiers new student works rooted in world music traditions. These concerts have continued to grow each semester, with the most recent one taking place at the public venue of Old South Church in Boston. James will continue working in a managerial role and growing his skills as the new Artistic Operations Intern at the Cincinnati Opera for their 2026 Summer Festival.

Outside of music, James is a photographer and videographer. He has worked for the Berklee Video Services department for over two years as a camera operator, PTZ operator, stream engineer, and director. He regularly directs and switches live-streamed multi-camera shoots at venues like the Berklee Performance Center, the Red Room, and the David Friend Recital Hall.

Reading, photography, and videography all play into James’s interest in interdisciplinary arts. Most recently, he worked with a choreographer from Boston Conservatory on a collaborative dance piece, for which he wrote and conducted music for a 7-piece chamber group, which was paired with choreography for three dancers. He is actively looking for more opportunities to expand his knowledge of various art forms!

As a volunteer, James works with CISV International, a non-profit peace organization dedicated to children’s education on conflict resolution, diversity, human rights, and sustainability. Most recently, he was a part of the Staff team of a Village program in the Smoky Mountains, living at and running the campsite in Tennessee for a month. Peaceful conflict resolution and education are very important to him.