James Domine, Composer
James Elza Domine was born on October 9, 1953, in Pasadena, California. He displayed a precocious interest in music at an early age, playing violin in school orchestras and taking piano lessons. He began formal study of composition and theory at age 16. Domine made his first serious compositional efforts in the form of three suites for solo guitar in E minor, D major, and A minor. These suites were subsequently arranged as concerti for guitar and chamber orchestra, and form the point of departure for his repertoire both as performer and composer.
Domine entered UCLA in the Fall Quarter of 1971 and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music. He studied composition, as well as the classical guitar repertoire, and played violin in the orchestra. His first public success as a composer came on May 10, 1977 when his “Requiem,” conducted by Roger Wagner, was received with a standing ovation by an enthusiastic audience that filled Schoenberg Hall. In 1979, Domine entered the University of Southern California on a full scholarship, where he studied composition and theory, and earned his Master’s Degree.
The same year, he founded the Van Nuys Civic Orchestra, a community-based group that eventually became the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra. The SFVSO has featured a year-round concert series at Pierce College in Woodland Hills and plays a leading role in expanding the musical horizons of Southern California residents. As Music Director and Conductor, Domine has led the Orchestra in hundreds of concert performances, and was delighted to have secured the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza’s Scherr Forum Theatre for the 2011-2012 season.
The complete catalog of Domine’s musical compositions includes symphonies, concerti, chamber music, a ballet, an opera, Luke and Sarah, solo instrumental pieces, and choral music in a wide variety of styles and genres. These works may be heard at jamesdomine.com. In keeping with the time-honored tradition of classical musicians participating in the popular music arena, Domine plays lead guitar and writes songs for the Blues Bandits, Molay Band, Screaming Clams, and Symphomaniax. Music from these ensembles is featured on his website.
Domine has also written a novel entitled The Naked Man, published in 2006, a story of contemporary life in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. The book is currently available from online publisher LuLu.com and forms the basis for his musical theater play, Tomahawk, which received its premiere at the Actors Forum Theater in North Hollywood, California, in January 2008. His most recent play, The Dogs of War, premiered to critical acclaim in 2011 at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
James Domine currently teaches music at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California, where he has developed a dedicated cadre of symphony aficionados and grateful concertgoers. He is currently working on completing the requirements for a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Boston University.