James Fankhauser

Who is James Fankhauser?

James Lee Fankhauser is an American conductor, tenor, and educator who is primarily known for his work within the field of choral music in Canada. In 1973 he was appointed the music director of the Vancouver Cantata Singers, remaining in that position until 2000. Under his leadership the VCS won several notable music competitions, including the BBC International Choral Competition and the CBC National Radio Competition. He has made several recording with VCS, one of which was nominated for a Juno Award in 1994. The choir has also appeared numerous times on Canadian television and radio under his direction. In 1981 the choir won the BBC's International Choral Competition, "Let the people sing," winning the Israeli Silver Cup for best performance. The Cantata Singers made three professional CDs over the years: Venetian Vespers of 1640, Skylark Records; A 1640 Venetian Mass, an Analekta fleurs de lys recording; and Abendlied, a Carus-Verlag recording featuring Josef Rheinberger choral music. The Venetian Vespers of 1640 won the Association of Canadian Choral Conductor's 1994 National Choral Award: Outstanding Choral Recording.