James Romeo
Following his appointment to the position of Piccolo, James began his tenure with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in the fall of 2022. He previously served as acting Assistant Principal Flute and Piccolo of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (Canada) for the 2019—2020 season. He has performed as guest Principal Flute with the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Tucson Symphony, and Modesto Symphony, and has also performed with the Indianapolis, Fort Worth, and Canton Symphony Orchestras. His summer festival activities include appearances at Mainly Mozart, Kent/Blossom, Orford Musique (Canada), Indiana University Summer Music Academy, and Anatolia College (Greece). As a soloist, James has performed the Vivaldi Piccolo Concerto in C Major with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and the Nielsen Flute Concerto with the Roosevelt Symphony Orchestra (Chicago). James has enthusiastically engaged in solo and chamber music projects with organizations including the La Jolla Music Society, Art of Élan, Luscious Noise, and the Dallas Cultural Collective, among others. His discography includes a recording David DeBoor Canfield’s Sonata for Flute and Piano, which he also premiered.
A committed educator, James taught at the Jacobs School of Music Flute Academy at Indiana University Bloomington, where he served as Assistant Director. He also served on the faculty of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music. In the fall of 2023, James joined the faculty of Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts as Adjunct Associate Professor of Flute. James has also pursued his interest in instrument repair, taking repair courses at the Vermont School of Flute Making and receiving Straubinger Pad® certification from Straubinger Flutes of Indianapolis.
James received a Bachelor of Music at Indiana University Bloomington studying with Thomas Robertello, and a Master of Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music studying with Joshua Smith. His principal teachers also include Cheryl Bretsnyder as well as his parents, Judith Shriver Kelley and James J. Romeo, both professional woodwind players.
Outside of spending time with his wife Stephanie and raising their five children together, James enjoys reading and roasting coffee in his few spare moments of time.