orchestral

Music Director, Arranger, Orchestrator, and trusted go-to collaborator for producers, James Olmstead is known for his ability to seamlessly handle orchestrations, arrangements, music supervision, copyist work, and technical integration. His work has been featured in Hugh Jackman: From New York With Love, The Tony Awards, PBS Great Performances, Elton John’s The Devil Wears Prada, Once Upon a One More Time featuring the music of Britney Spears, Tony Bennett: The Official Music Celebration, and numerous symphonic productions worldwide.

As a music director, he recently completed the first year of the national tour of A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, and in New York has performed in the pits of more than a dozen Broadway productions.

He has conducted orchestras internationally for Coraline, The Batman (Vengeance), Batman (1989), Nintendo Live, 4U: The Music of Prince, and Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular, and on Broadway for On Your Feet! (Gloria Estefan), The Wiz (Charlie Smalls), and A Beautiful Noise. Off-Broadway credits include Smokey Joe’s Cafe.

As a composer and arranger, his music has been heard in Once Upon a One More Time, The Tony Awards, Mambo Italiano: The Musical, Fame (2016 National Tour), Broadway in Taipei, Share the Love (Subaru), and Broadway Swinger.

Coraline with the Seattle Symphony - Conductor.

Latina Leading Ladies of Broadway (New Haven Symphony) - Conductor, Music Director, additional orchestrations.

Tony Bennett: The Official Music Celebration - Orchestrations.

Faithfully: The Music of Journey - Additional orchestrations.

Voyagers: Space Rock Opera Excerpt (Tucson Pops) - Orchestrations.

DC in Concert - Batman 1989 (US 2024) - Conductor, additional orchestrations.

Nintendo Live (Seattle 2023) - Conductor, additional orchestrations for The Legend of Zelda Orchestra and Super Mario Super Big Band.

DC in Concert - The Batman with Symphony (Europe & US 2023) - Conductor, international tour.

4U: The Music of Prince with Symphony - Music Director, Conductor, additional Orchestrations. Concept by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.

MercyMe It’s Christmas - Conductor. Features the hit band MercyMe.

Rocky Live in Concert - Orchestrator, Conductor.

A Night of Symphonic Rock - Conductor. Featuring Lou Gramm of Foreigner.

Cirque Musica Holiday Spectacular - Conductor. National Tour featuring 50+ orchestras.