James Christensen (born August 27, 1935) is an American trombonist, music director, and composer. Christensen was born on August 27, 1935. He is well known throughout the United States and Canada as a conductor, composer, and arranger. His music (over 400 published works) is heard regularly worldwide on records, radio, television specials and in documentary films. Having been associated with Walt Disney Productions for over thirty-seven years, he was music director for Disneyland and Walt Disney World for twelve years, wrote soundtracks for the “Main Street Electrical Parade,” “Fantasy in the Sky,” and many other Disney productions and conducted the All-American Marching Band at the grand opening of Euro-Disneyland in Paris on April 12, 1992.. He has been guest conductor of many orchestras and bands in the U. S. and Canada, including the Houston Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, the New Orleans Pops, the Winnipeg Symphony, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, as well as the symphonic orchestras of San Diego, Honolulu, and others. He continues as music director and conductor of the Pacific Pops Orchestra.
Christensen’s arrangements are currently heard at theme parks around the world in Asia, Europe, and the US, including all the Disney parks, Knott’s Berry Farm, Canada’s Wonderland, Hershey Park, Lotte World (Korea), Everland, and Movie World in Germany. He has also arranged and orchestrated music for the Boston Pops, the London Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl, the Academy Awards Show, several Super Bowls (and Sun, Fiesta, and Orange Bowls), National Public Radio and MENC’s World Largest Concert. Among his current activities, he is a trombone clinician for UMI-Conn and is a member of the American Bandmasters Assn. and serves on the advisory board of the Association of Concert Bands. Jim continues to guest conduct for high school, college and community bands and has conducted the Community Band of America (Band at Sea) since 1994.
Jim has held the position of director of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band (performed at the Rose Bowl), conducted the Wisconsin and New York All-State Concert Bands, and has directed Band Days at the University of Southern California, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, the University of Idaho, and Indiana University. In 1992, Christensen was guest conductor of the All-American Marching Band at the grand opening of Euro Disneyland in Paris, France. In the summer of 1998, Jim conducted his fourth season with the Community Band of the Sea. Jim is also a trombone clinician with UMI-CONN. While conductor of the All-American College Orchestra for nine seasons at Disney World’s EPCOT Center, he worked with numerous world-renowned artists and celebrities.
The following work by James Christensen is contained in my collection:
The Homefront: Musical Memories of World War II.
walkerhomeschoolblog 