Biography
 James Westwater
Through
the innovative integration of live symphonic music and multi-image
projected photography, James Westwater has created a new art form,
photochoreography. For over a quarter century, Mr. Westwater has
performed his symphonic photochoreography as a guest artist appearing
with orchestras across North America, including those of Cleveland,
Pittsburgh, Saint Louis, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Indianapolis,
Detroit, Seattle, Saint Paul, Houston, Denver, Milwaukee, Vancouver BC
and Washington DC.
After
completing his university studies, Westwater considered a career
in filmmaking. He was impressed with the ability of cinema to
communicate with power and impact, but was not satisfied–generally speaking–with the
ways Hollywood and television were using the medium.
Reflecting on his inner disposition and sensing a desire to
give voice to the creative spirit within, he decided to follow
his love of both photography and classical music. In the
synthesis of these powerful art forms, Westwater recognized the
potential for communicating with broad audiences in innovative
ways about subjects that are helpful to life.
Westwater
at work in a rain forest.
(Photo by Brooks Westwater)
In creating works of photochoreography, Westwater's intent is not to develop a visual language to interpret the meaning of a
composer's score. Rather, by melding the strengths of two separate
art forms, Westwater tries to communicate to audiences what he
thinks and feels about subjects that are meaningful to him and
which he believes are valuable to life.
Through
his photochoreography, over the course of his career performing
with
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symphony and chamber orchestras, Westwater has been very
successful inattracting previously untapped audiences to experience
the joy and wonder of symphonic music. "This creative interplay
of sight and sound," explains Gideon Toeplitz, Managing Director
of the Pittsburgh Symphony, "was instrumental in drawing
an entirely new audience to the hall." The multisensory
format provides an effective way for a broader, more visually-oriented
and culturally diverse audience to experience and more fully enjoy
live orchestral music.
Mr. Westwater's initial performance piece, set to Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 7, Sinfonia Antarctica, was premiered
by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in 1973, and was made possible
with the cooperation and support of the National Science Foundation
and the National Geographic Society.
Mr.
Westwater's second piece, Wilderness Suite, was premiered at the Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts by the National Symphony Orchestra.
Subsequent works were premiered by The Cleveland Orchestra,
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the symphony orchestras
of Pittsburgh, Saint Louis, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, New Orleans
and Honolulu.
Shooting
in the American Southwest
(Photo by Eric Smith)
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under Raymond Leppard, Music
Director Emeritus, commissioned James Westwater to create three
pieces of nature photochoreography set to Haydn's Symphonies
Number 6, 7 and 8. The works premiered with
the Orchestra as part of the ISO's Spring Festival at the Hilbert
Circle Theatre in Indianapolis.
Mr. Westwater's most recent piece is titled, The Eternal Struggle. Set to Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait, it was commissioned and premiered by the Orlando Philharmonic and the Akron Symphony Orchestra, both under the direction of Christopher Wilkins. The Eternal Struggle is a visual/musical portrait of America's greatest president, the Civil War and the ongoing struggle for freedom, justice and equality. Over 10,000 historical images were considered in the making of this extraordinary, powerful and timely piece of symphonic photochoreography.
Twice a National Endowment for the Arts Resident Artist, James
Westwater has photographed in Alaska with the Byrd Polar Research Center and in Antarctica as the National Science Foundation's
Artist-in-the-Antarctic. His artistic credentials include an
award winning front cover for Saturday Review magazine
and the publication of a highly acclaimed book of photography.
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Westwater has
performed with the
principal orchestras of Cleveland, Pittsburgh,
Seattle, Washington DC, Minneapolis, Dallas, Saint Louis, Baltimore, Milwaukee,
Detroit, Cincinnati, Saint Paul, Indianapolis, Houston, Portland,
Denver, Columbus, Rochester, Buffalo, Salt Lake City, Vancouver
BC, Singapore and
over 150more >
For repertoire, booking and
more information:
Westwater Arts
877-ARTS-WEST (278-7937)
WestwaterArts.com
info@WestwaterArts.com
©1997-2010 WestwaterArts.com
All Rights Reserved
Mr. Westwater is a past fellow of The Explorers Club and a recipient
of the Antarctic Medal. His work has been performed before audiences
of the National Academy of Science and the World Congress of
Local Governments.
Mr. Westwater's formal education encompasses a variety of interests.
He earned his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University with studies
in philosophy, art history, educational development, cinema
and multimedia. He now resides in Utah, close to the
mountains, deserts and canyon country he loves.
You can learn more about the photochoreography of James Westwater
by visiting the web site, WestwaterArts.com.
Reproduced with permission
SYMPHONY cover photo from Westwater's Vanishing Forest, set to Vaughn Williams'
The Lark Ascending.
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