JAMES BARRY

"An opera with belly laughs... Joyous... A truly extraordinary theatrical experience.”
-The New York Times

The music of Brooklyn-based composer James Barry has been described as “immediately engaging and distinctly American” (Holyoke Civic Orchestra), “an emotional rollercoaster” (The Keystone), “truly moving” (NYTheatre.com), and, well, “quirky” (Feast of Music). “An opera with belly laughs… joyous,” raved The New York Times of SMASHED. A recipient of the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters his opera, orchestra, ballet, dance, theater, and chamber music scores are heard across the country each season.

MUSIC

OPERA

ORCHESTRA

CHAMBER MUSIC

VOCAL MUSIC

BAND & LARGE ENSEMBLE

THEATER, DANCE & ARRANGEMENTS

WHAT'S GOING ON?

The Birthday Cut: BEST DRAMA at New York Shorts International Film Festival!

I had the pleasure of writing music for Eva Midgley’s absolutely beautiful short film The Birthday Cut. The film won BEST DRAMA at the 2020 New York Shorts International Film Festival. And was shortlisted at the 2020 LA Shorts International Film Festival. The Birthday Cut premiered opening night, November 14, 2019 at the Toronto Shorts[…]

Interview with Jams for Man Podcast

I recently sat down with Andy Keiler from the Jams for Man podcast to chat about becoming a classical music composer. The podcast is an amazing document of the punk rock music scene in Northern Virginia suburbs where I cut my teeth making music as a teenager. Thanks to Andy for letting me share some[…]

Interview with 1 Track Podcast

Good times catching up with my old buddy from UT Austin, composer and guitarist Anthony Joseph Lanman on his 1 Track Podcast. If you haven’t had a chance, please checkout Tony’s podcast. He’s interviewed so many amazing composers and performers over the years, and has literally created an historical record of our musical generation. You[…]

SNAPSHOT: Memphis Bound

The Tennessee All-West Festival Orchestra, conducted by Dan Allcot, will perform SNAPSHOT, February 13, 2016 at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Memphis, TN.

More Press for SMASHED: NY Times & Washington Post

In the August 13, 2015 edition of The New York Times, SMASHED was the lead feature in an article about the Fringe NYC Festival, One Year Later, Fringe Festival Shows Measure Their Success. Opera on Tap’s intrepid leader & producer, Anne Hiatt, reflected on the challenges and success from our five date run at the[…]

New Opera: The Little Garden

Based on an excerpt from the The Diary of a Lost Girl (1905) by Margarete Böhme, The Little Garden tells the story of a prostitute who finds herself in an unusual position — negotiating with an old, worn out aristocrat who lacks the financial means to afford her companionship. With a libretto by Elizabeth Byrne,[…]

Vermont Youth Philharmonia plays SNAPSHOT

Vermont Youth Philharmonia, April 17, 2015 7:00pm at Elley-Long Music Center Conducted by Yutaka Kono PLUS! The Philharmonia is taking SNAPSHOT on their ‘School Tour’ April 13, 2015: -Saint Albans Town Education Center (SATEC) -Bakersfield Elementary School

CHARMED for violin & piano

I clearly remember the night I found the music at my fingers for the third movement of short stories for alto sax & piano – the long sustained melody notes ringing in my ear as I played through the accompaniment. I’d always thought it would work well for other instruments, with slight alterations to key,[…]

EROS & PSYCHE, a new comedy

I had a fabulous time working again with director and choreographer, Shela Xoregos on the new comedy, EROS & PSYCHE by Donna Spector this past July. My first introduction to the play was a well attended public reading in February, a chilly day with snow flurries, at the beautiful Jefferson Market Library. We all met a[…]

SMASHED selected for FringeNYC Encore Series

We are thrilled to announce that SMASHED was one of sixteen shows from the fringe festival chosen to showcase on the FringeNYC Encore Series. ONE NIGHT ONLY! September 21, 2014 at 9:30pm, SoHo Playhouse, New York, NY A nice write up up on our show from the kind folks at Opera Pulse, and a cool[…]

Previous Next