James Blachly

Conductor James Blachly has varied areas of musical expertise, including traditional symphonic repertory, contemporary music, and light opera. In all these areas, he has stressed making music accessible to new audiences. Blachly has held conducting positions with three vastly different ensembles: the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania, the Experiential Orchestra in New York, and the Geneva Light Opera in upstate New York. In 2020, Blachly and the Experiential Orchestra recorded the world premiere of The Prison, the final major work of composer Dame Ethel Smyth. In 2024, he conducted the Experiential Orchestra on the album American Counterpoints, featuring music by neglected African American composers Julia Perry and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson.