James Lentini

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James Lentini (born February 7, 1958 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American composer

James Lentini (b. 1958) is an American composer and guitarist recognized for performances of his compositions in the United States, Europe, and South America. His works have been performed by distinguished solo artists such as guitarist William Kanengiser and by international ensembles including the Krakow Philharmonic Orchestra (Poland) and the Bohuslav Martinu Orchestra (Czech Republic). In addition to many commissions, his honors include first prize in the 2004 Choral Composition Contest at Bluffton College, the 2002 Segovia International Composition Prize, the Atwater-Kent Composition Award (first Prize), the McHugh Composition Prize, a grant from "Meet the Composer," and several awards from ASCAP. In 2003, Dr. Lentini participated as a juror in the Segovia International Guitar Competition in La Herradura, Spain. He has been a Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome, and his work has been featured in new music festivals throughout Europe and the United States. In 2007, Dr. Lentini accepted the appointment of Dean of the School of Fine Arts at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, overseeing the Departments of Music, Art, Theatre, and Architecture/Interior Design, in addition to the Performing Arts Series and the University Museum.

From 2003-2007, Dr. Lentini served as the founding Dean of the School of Art, Media, and Music at The College of New Jersey. Previously, Dr. Lentini held the position of Professor of Composition at Wayne State University from 1988-2003, where he also served as Acting Chair and Associate Chair of the Department of Music. His works are published by MMB Music, Editorial de Musica Española Contemporanea, Acoma Editions, and the Society of Composers, Inc., and recorded on the Capstone, MMC, and CRS recording labels. In addition to composing, Dr. Lentini is a guitarist who has studied with William Kanengiser, Joe Fava, and Charles Postlewate. After completing undergraduate studies at Wayne State University in guitar performance and composition, he pursued a master‘s degree in composition at Michigan State University and a doctorate from the University of Southern California, where he studied composition with Robert Linn and Morten Lauridsen.

[edit] Source

Cummings, David M. International Who's who in Music and Musicians' Directory, 17th ed. Melrose Press, International, 2000