James Shrader

Dr. James Shrader is Professor of Music and former Head of the Department of Music at Valdosta State University. He has combined careers as composer, author, professor, administrator, conductor, stage director, and operatic tenor. He holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Fine Arts (Conducting) from Texas Tech University. Dr. Shrader received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, and the Master of Music degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music (Opera Direction) and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Further studies have included the Cambridge Choral Seminar at Clare College, Cambridge, England.

For thirteen years, Dr. Shrader was Director of Music and Fine Arts at the First Baptist Church of Greater Cleveland (ABCUSA). For eleven years, he was Head of Music and Choral and Opera Studies at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He is the former chorus master for Tulsa Opera where he prepared nine productions for live performances and rebroadcasts on National Public Radio stations. He was tour director for the Oklahoma Ambassadors of Music and is currently choral coordinator for the Georgia Ambassadors of Music.

He has conducted choral performances, which have included his compositions, in Great Britain at Canterbury and Ely Cathedrals; Dunfirmline Abbey, Scotland; Holy Innocents Church, Manchester; and in London at St. Martin’s in the Field, Wesley Chapel, All Souls Church, and Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church; as well as concerts in France (Paris), Switzerland (Champery, Crans-Montana), Austria (Seefeld), Germany (Rothenburg), and St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice, Italy.

Dr. Shrader is the author of The Choruses in Mozart’s Opere Serie published by The Edwin Mellen Press. He has also published several choral compositions with Colla Voce, Inc. His works in progress include a mystery novel as well as a series of brief chamber operas. Dr. Shrader is a member of the College Music Society; American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers; Society of Composers, Inc.; National Association for Music Education; Georgia Music Educators Association; Pi Kappa Lambda; and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.