About James Tecuatl-Lee

I write music I’d like to hear, often serious, always with an element of play. I write for any instrumentation, but I have a special fondness for music that includes a vocal part. In my career, I’ve had the privilege of writing for Ensemble Mise-En, the Del Sol String Quartet, SF Choral Artists, Sacred and Profane Chamber Chorus, the Kahlo Quartet, Panoramic Voices, Inversion Ensemble, as well as many local artists, family, and friends.

While studying music at Dartmouth College, I completed my first large scale work, a chamber opera called Hermaphroditus and Salmacis. I also experimented with free improvisation, with the encouragement of my professor, advisor, and friend, Kui Dong. After graduating with honors in music, I moved to Oakland, CA, where I wrote for several local choruses. Now I live in Austin, TX, where I am active as a performer and composer in the choral and new music scenes.

Making music accessible to a wide and diverse audience is important to me. I try to write with a basic musical vitality that all can appreciate, as well as the nuance and innovation that will allow even experienced listeners to continue finding meaning upon further listenings.