James Michael Deitz performs in a diversity of musical areas, including large ensemble, solo, and chamber music settings. He has performed throughout the United States, as well as on the continents of Europe and Asia. His particular passion for theatrical percussion has led him to commission new works for this genre. Mr. Deitz made his concerto debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2003 at Philadelphia’s Verizon Hall under the baton of Rosen Milanov. He made his Carnegie Hall debut performing Martin Bresnick’s double marimba concerto, Grace, with Robert van Sice and maestro Shinik Hahm. In 2008, he performed the premiere of Lembit Beecher’s percussion concerto and the Philip Glass Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Orchestra with percussionist Svetoslav Stoyanov in Issac Stern Hall/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall with the New York Youth Symphony and Ryan McAdams conducting. He also made concerto appearances with the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea.

Mr. Deitz has had the great fortune to share the stage with such legendary percussionists as Emmanuel Sejourne, William Cahn, and Keiko Abe. He has collaborated with musical artists such as Richard Stolzman, Marya Martin, Jonathan Biss, Jeremy Denk, Benjamin Hochman, and Susan Narucki to name a few. His festival credits include those of Bowdoin, Bridgehampton, Centre Acanthes, The Delaware Chamber Music Festival, The Ensemble Modern Academy at the Klangspuren Festival, Festival of the Atlantic, June in Buffalo, Norfolk, Yellow Barn, and ZMF. He has performed with Ensemble ACJW, the Ikarus Chamber Players, NOMAD, the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, Signal Ensemble, So Percussion, the Yale Camerata, and the Yale Glee Club. While a member of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, James worked with conductors Roberto Abbado, Dohnanyi, Dutoit, Eschenbach, Fleisher, Rostropovich, Sawallisch, Silverstein, Spano, Temirkanov, Vonk, Werner Mueller, and Zinman. As a member of Ensemble ACJW, Deitz worked with conductors Ades, Conlon, Malkki, Manze, Milarsky, and Sir Simon Rattle.

As an educator, Deitz has taught at PS20M and PS398 through The Academy- a program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and The Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education. As a teaching assistant pursuing post-graduate study at the University of Miami, he taught undergraduate students and percussion methods. He also coached the Greater Miami Youth Symphony. He is the founding director of the Musical Mariners, an instrumental program in Waretown, NJ that connects intermediate school musicians with high school musicians and is an assistant director of Ocean Glee.

Mr. Deitz worked with Jean-Pierre Drouet, the forerunner of the theatrical percussion art form, at Centre Acanthes. James was also coached by composer Georges Aperghis. Through Carnegie Hall’s Making Music series, he has worked with composers Peter Eotvos and Christopher Rouse. He has also worked with composer Steve Reich through the Weill Music Institute’s workshop, “Reich @ 70,” culminating in a performance in Zankel Hall. Deitz has recorded for New Amsterdam Records, CAG Records, and Equilibrium.

James received degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and the Yale School of Music. He is a recipient of the Yale School of Music’s Dean’s Prize and a Theodore Presser Award. He also attended the Juilliard School’s pre-college division. He has studied with Michael Bookspan, David Fein, Donald Liuzzi, Rolando Morales Matos, Joan Panetti and Robert Van Sice.