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Photochoreographer
Through the innovative integration of live symphonic music and multi-image projected photography, James Westwater has created a new art form, photochoreography. For over a quarter century, Mr. Westwater has performed his symphonic photochoreography as a guest artist appearing with orchestras across North America, including those of Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Saint Louis, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit, Seattle, Saint Paul, Houston, Denver, Milwaukee, Vancouver BC and Washington DC.
After completing his university studies, Westwater considered a career in filmmaking. He was impressed with the ability of cinema to communicate with power and impact, but was not satisfied - generally speaking - with the ways Hollywood and television were using the medium.
Reflecting on his inner disposition and sensing a desire to give voice to the creative spirit within, he decided to follow his love of both photography and classical music. In the synthesis of these powerful art forms, Westwater recognized the potential for communicating with broad audiences in innovative ways about subjects that are helpful to life.
In creating works of photochoreography, Westwater's intent is not to develop a visual language to interpret the meaning of a composer's score. Rather, by melding the strengths of two separate art forms, Westwater tries to communicate to audiences what he thinks and feels about subjects that are meaningful to him and which he believes are valuable to life.
Through his photochoreography, over the course of his career performing with symphony and chamber orchestras, Westwater has been very successful in attracting previously untapped audiences to experience the joy and wonder of symphonic music. "This creative interplay of sight and sound," explains Gideon Toeplitz, Managing Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony, "was instrumental in drawing an entirely new audience to the hall." The multi-sensory format provides an effective way for a broader, more visually-oriented and culturally diverse audience to experience and more fully enjoy live orchestral music.
Mr. Westwater's initial performance piece, set to Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 7, Sinfonia Antarctica, was premiered by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in 1973, and was made possible with the cooperation and support of the National Science Foundation and the National Geographic Society.
Mr. Westwater's second piece, Wilderness Suite, was premiered at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by the National Symphony Orchestra. Subsequent works were premiered by The Cleveland Orchestra, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the symphony orchestras of Pittsburgh, Saint Louis, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Honolulu.
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under Raymond Leppard, Music Director Emeritus, commissioned James Westwater to create three pieces of nature photochoreography set to Haydn's Symphonies Number 6, 7 and 8. The works premiered with the Orchestra as part of the ISO's Spring Festival at the Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis.
Twice a National Endowment for the Arts Resident Artist, James Westwater has photographed in Alaska with the Institute of Polar Studies and in Antarctica as the National Science Foundation's Artist-in-the-Antarctic. His artistic credentials include an award winning front cover for Saturday Review magazine and the publication of a highly acclaimed book of photography.
Mr. Westwater is a past fellow of The Explorers Club and a recipient of the Antarctic Medal. His work has been performed before audiences of the National Academy of Science and the World Congress of Local Government.
Mr. Westwater's formal education encompasses a variety of interests. He earned his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University with studies in philosophy, art history, educational development, cinema and multimedia. He now resides in Utah, close to the mountains, deserts and canyon country he loves.
You can learn more about the photochoreography of James Westwater by visiting the web site, WestwaterArts.com.
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James Westwater
