Biographie (English biography follows after the French)
James C. Lebens participe à de nombreuses émissions sur les ondes de Radio-Canada. Il se fait remarquer comme chef d’orchestre à l’Université Laval ainsi qu’à l’extérieur, notamment à la CAMMAC (Musiciens amateurs du Canada). Il dirige plusieurs ensembles (ensembles de cuivres, orchestre d’harmonie, stage band). James Lebens a aussi enregistré plusieurs disques comme soliste et chambriste sous les étiquettes Albany Records, ATMA, MIREs et SNE. Il a collaboré avec Iannis Xenakis, Eric Ewazen, Denis Dion et Robert Lemay entre autres compositeurs dans la création de nouvelles œuvres pour le trombone.
Très actif comme soliste, M. Lebens a donné les concerts en récital ou avec orchestre à travers le Canada, les États-Unis, l’Europe, le Mexique, Brésil et la Chine ainsi que les cours de maîtres dans ces endroits.
Connu et respecté comme adjudicateur, M. Lebens participe comme juge des concours renommés comme Clermont Pépin et en 2009 les finales du Concours de musique du Canada à Montréal.
M. Lebens a lancé en novembre 2007 le disque EWAZEN LEBENS EKLUND play Ewazen (Albany Records), un CD qui contient plusieurs œuvres composées à son intention ou adaptées pour lui, avec le compositeur au piano et Niklas Eklund à la trompette. Lebens et Eklund ont également enregistré en mars 2008, sous étiquette NAXOS, le Double concerto du même compositeur américain avec l’Orchestre de chambre philharmonique tchèque à Prague sous la direction de Charles Olivieri-Munroe.
James C. Lebens joue exclusivement des trombones de marque Yamaha.
Biography
American trombonist, conductor and educator Dr. James C. Lebens holds a Bachelor of Music as well as a Master of Music degree from the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York where he studied with Dr. Per Brevig, principal trombone of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Following two years of residency at the Banff Festival of Fine Arts collaborating with numerous world class musicians, Dr. Lebens began teaching at the University of Washington while earning a Doctorate in Musical Arts from this institution, studying with contemporary trombone authority Stuart Dempster.
Dr. Lebens was appointed Professor of Brass Instruments at Laval University, Quebec City, in 2003. He is a founding member of the Laval University Brass Quintet and the Quebec Wind and Percussion Ensemble, both being ensembles in residence at Laval University. Also active as a jazz musician, Dr. Lebens is lead trombone and has recorded with the jazz orchestra l’Orchestre Roland Martel, Quebec’s longest running jazz ensemble. He has recorded as soloist and chamber musician on the labels Albany Records, ATMA, MIREs, and SNE among others, has been heard on numerous broadcasts by the Société Radio-Canada, and has performed as recitalist and as solist with orchestras and wind ensembles across Canada, the United States, Europe, Mexico, Brazil and China, as well as giving master classes in these venues. He has collaborated in the premier and creation of new works with such distinguished composers as Iannis Xenakis, Eric Ewazen, Denis Dion and Robert Lemay.
James C. Lebens launched in November 2007 EWAZEN LEBENS EKLUND play Ewazen (Albany Records), a CD which contains several works written for him or adapted for him. These works have been recorded in collaboration with the composer himself on piano, and Niklas Eklund the trumpet.
Upcoming projects also include a recording of the T-Bone Concerto by Johann de Meij with the Quebec Wind and Percussion Ensemble on the ATMA label. At Laval University, Dr. Lebens is conductor of several ensembles at Laval University, including the trombone, trumpet and brass ensembles, as well as the contemporary music ensemble which he founded. His conducting activities include stage bands and concert bands at summer programs such as CAMMAC and Camp Kamouraska, both in Quebec, as well as invitations to conduct from prestigious ensembles such as Erreur du type 17. Dr. Lebens is also actively involved with young musicians and has given concerts and workshops across Canada for young audiences through the auspices of Music and Youth of Canada. As an adjudicator, he has judged for many years at the Sherbrooke Provincial Band Festival (Festival des harmonies de Sherbrooke), American band festivals such as Rhythms International, and the prestigious Clermont-Pépin Competition. Dr. Lebens is recognized as an expert in the field of contemporary techniques for his instrument. In 2009 Dr. Lebens was judge for the finals of the prestigious Canadian Music Competition in Montreal.
James C. Lebens and Niklas Eklund also recorded in March 2008 under the NAXOS label, the Double Concerto of the same American composer Eric Ewazen with the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra in Prague under the direction of Charles Olivieri-Munroe.
Dr. Lebens was recently named a Yamaha artist.
