James Avery

Who was James Avery?

James Avery was an American classical pianist and conductor.

He was born in Hutchinson, Kansas and studied at the University of Kansas, and then at Indiana University under Tibor Kozma. From 1967 to 1980 he taught at [University of Iowa ], and from 1980 until 2002 at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg in Germany. From 1992 he headed Ensemble SurPlus, playing mostly new music. Avery recorded works by Stefan Wolpe, Charles Wuorinen, Brian Ferneyhough, and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

In 1992 he formed the contemporary music ensemble SurPlus, which he conducted and in which he performed on the piano. After its debut in Freiburg, Ensemble SurPlus performed at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse and at festivals throughout Europe.