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James Wolter currently pursues his doctoral degree as a first year student at the Eastman School of Music. In 2018, he earned his MM in choral conducting at Ithaca College under the tutelage of Dr. Janet Galván. There he worked with all auditioned choral ensembles and co-directed the Campus Chorus Ensemble, the non-audition choir with Dr. Susan Avery. During this time, he also served as the Director of Music at the Protestant Cooperative Ministry of Cornell University.
As a public school music teacher for seven years at St. Francis Area Schools and Fargo Public Schools, Wolter’s colleagues presented him with the Outstanding Choral Director of the Year at the 2014 North Dakota American Choral Directors Association Conference. As a proponent of collaboration and creating new music, he worked with the American Composers Forum in commissioning René Clausen for a world premier of “The Golden Queen” with his 7th Grade Choir at Discovery Middle School. |
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Wolter’s students routinely made the middle school and senior high All-State Choirs. Students earned multiple superior ratings at the state solo/ensemble contest including the Best Performance award with members of the non-auditioned 9th Grade Davies High Treble Choir. Alongside success with his treble ensembles, Wolter became a specialist in the district with male middle school changing voices. The number of singers in the program increased dramatically including a 30% increase at Ben Franklin Middle School in one year and a tripling of male singers enrolled at Discovery Middle School to over 100 during a four year period.
As a clinician, Wolter was selected to conduct the 2015 North Dakota Surround the State in Song, the 2018 Tompkins County Middle School Honor Choir and the North Dakota Surround the State in Song again in 2019. He also served as a clinician for the North Dakota State University's Women's Choral Festival in 2013 and 2014 with his treble ensembles as featured choirs.
As a singer, Wolter sang with the semi-professional Fargo-Moorhead Choral Artists where he consistently sang solos under the baton of Dr. Michael Culloton. As a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Concordia College, he also sang in the Concordia Choir under Dr. Rene Clausen where he recorded with the King’s Singers, toured Korea, and sang part of the 2011 National Broadcast of “Christmas at Concordia: Journey to Bethlehem.” He also performed as a soloist with Ithaca College Madrigal Singers most recently as the tenor in Bach’s Cantata BWV 4 Christ lag in Todesbanden.
An active member of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education, Wolter served as the North Dakota ACDA Middle School/Junior High Repertoire and Standards chair for three years.
As a clinician, Wolter was selected to conduct the 2015 North Dakota Surround the State in Song, the 2018 Tompkins County Middle School Honor Choir and the North Dakota Surround the State in Song again in 2019. He also served as a clinician for the North Dakota State University's Women's Choral Festival in 2013 and 2014 with his treble ensembles as featured choirs.
As a singer, Wolter sang with the semi-professional Fargo-Moorhead Choral Artists where he consistently sang solos under the baton of Dr. Michael Culloton. As a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Concordia College, he also sang in the Concordia Choir under Dr. Rene Clausen where he recorded with the King’s Singers, toured Korea, and sang part of the 2011 National Broadcast of “Christmas at Concordia: Journey to Bethlehem.” He also performed as a soloist with Ithaca College Madrigal Singers most recently as the tenor in Bach’s Cantata BWV 4 Christ lag in Todesbanden.
An active member of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education, Wolter served as the North Dakota ACDA Middle School/Junior High Repertoire and Standards chair for three years.
