James Peterson is a multi-instrumentalist and educator hailing from the Washington DC metro area.  When not performing, he keeps a private studio of piano, guitar, bass guitar and double bass students.  In addition to private instruction, James specializes in group classes and ensemble coaching for all ages.

James holds a bachelor’s degree in performance from the Johns Hopkins Peabody Conservatory as well as two graduate degrees from the Indiana University Jacob School of Music.  James’s time at Peabody was spent studying a breadth of specialties including double bass, conducting and music theory.  At Indiana University, James chose to focus on orchestral and solo double bass performance for his four years of graduate work. 

As an administrator, James has led the artistic teams at festivals and with orchestras.  He has ample experience fundraising, organizing concerts, managing guest artists and hosting concerts and events.

From Carnegie Hall to basement jazz bars, James’s performing career has taken him all across the country.  James performs with many symphony orchestras along the east coast  and in the midwest, and loves to fill the time in between with cover bands, musical pits and bluegrass bands.