James Matthew Castle is from
Sacramento, California. Throughout his early years he studied
various instruments, including cello, bass, guitar, piano, and
voice, and at age twelve he composed his first musical piece.
As a student of the Visual and Performing Arts Centre at Sacramento
High School, he developed a special interest in music for the
theater.
From 1989 to 1995 Matt lived in Stockton, California, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the Conservatory of Music at University of the Pacific. As an undergraduate student, he studied composition with Ron Caviani and Curt Veeneman; piano with Wolfgang Fetsch, Claire Wachter, and Frank Wiens; and voice with William Whitesides. Most of his compositions from this period are for small vocal and instrumental ensembles; significant early compositions include Trio for Trumpet, Viola, and Piano (1989-1991), Sonatina for Flute, Horn, and Piano (1992), Quintet for Winds (1992), Songs for Lovers (1986-1993), and Sonata for Bassoon and Piano (1995). While at UOP, Matt became a member of Phi Mu Alpha.
During his six years in Stockton, Matt developed a career as an accompanist, playing piano in hundreds of recitals, concerts, and theatrical productions. He spent three summers as a rehearsal pianist for the Sacramento Light Opera Association's Music Circus (AEA), and he directed music for many productions in high schools, community theaters, and cabaret venues. As an actor and singer, Matt has appeared in several operas, musicals, and recitals, performing roles as diverse as Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden, Matt in The Fantasticks, Henrik Egerman in A Little Night Music, Edvard Grieg in Song of Norway, and The Husband in Amelia Goes to the Ball. In 1995, Matt recorded a CD, First Album, which includes selections from several of the musicals written for the The Benerd School Theater Arts Project as well as other numbers written in Matt's early years.
Matt was the Artistic and Musical Director of the The Benerd School Theater Arts Project at UOP, an instructional program in theater arts for fifth through twelfth graders from 1993-1999. He has collaborated with Stockton composer Jon Robinson to create scores for five musical plays for children: Sleeping Baggy (1993), Olympus House (1994), The Stolen Manuscript (1995), Westward Ha! (1996), and Unstrung! (1997). In 1998 and 1999, Matt wrote book, lyrics and music for the last two productions: Poor Owen Bunderton (1998), and Clear Blue Sky (1999). TAP was a member of the California Educational Theater Associaltion (CETA) and the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA) and has been honored with 16 SARTA "Elly" Award nominations, winning 4 "Ellys."
After graduating from UOP, Matt relocated to De Kalb, Illinois, to pursue a Master of Music degree in Composition from Northern Illinois University. At the NIU School of Music, he studied composition with Jan Bach; voice with Diane Ragains; and opera with James Tucker and Stephen Squires. His compositions from this period are all dramatic, including the song To be justified (1995), the ballet music Dancing in Black and White (1996), and his Final Project, the opera Before Dawn (1997). The piece was premiered in April 1997 in the NIU Opera Season.
Matt returned to Stockton, California in 1997, where he served as an adjunct faculty member at both San Joaquin Delta College and at the University of the Pacific. His writing projects included a commission from the NIU University Band as well as the book, lyrics, and scores for the last two Theater Arts Project productions, Poor Owen Bunderton and Clear Blue Sky. His performance and directing projects are available on his Web site.
Matt spent the 1999-2000 school year at The University of Iowa School of Music, where he worked as vocal coach and accompanist. He worked with stage directors Sally Stunkel and John Muriello to prepare productions of Hansel and Gretel, She Loves Me, and The Yeoman of The Guard, in which he also sang the leading role of Col. Fairfax. In addition to accompanying dozens of recitals throughout the year, he gave his own recital in the summer of 2000, featuring art songs by living American composers Stanworth Beckler, Henry Campbell, and Jan Bach.
Matt received a Special
Award from the Stockton
Arts Commission at the 1999 Annual STAR Awards Dinner. Matt
was honored by the Stockton Arts Commission and the State of California
for his work as an activist in the arts, a composer, teacher and
performing artist.
Matt is currently living in NYC and pursuing his career as a performing artist.