James Beauton

James Beauton is a Lecturer Faculty in Percussion at the School of Music, San Francisco State University. He serves as Director of Orchestra and Classical Music Studies at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts and is the 2023-24 Music Director/Conductor of the Winchester Orchestra of San Jose. His conducting highlights include the California premiere of Nick DiBerardino’s Double Percussion Concerto with the Mission Chamber Orchestra and performances of the Lord of the Rings Symphony. As a percussionist, he was a member of Steven Schick’s red fish blue fish ensemble (2015–2020) and a founding member of the percussion trio Tala Rasa, commissioning works from composers like Alejandro Vinao. He holds a Doctorate in Contemporary Music Performance from UC San Diego (2023), a Master’s from SUNY Stony Brook, and a Bachelor’s from Michigan State University.

His scholarly work includes a published dissertation analyzing the relationship between classical musicians and modern life. Awards include Yamaha Performing Artist status and the 2012 Southern California International Marimba Competition win. He specializes in contemporary percussion repertoire, media theory, and recording technology applications in music.