James Judd

James Judd is a British conductor. He is a graduate of Trinity College of Music, London. Judd was an assistant conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra, and served as associate music director of the European Union Youth Orchestra.

Judd made his U.S. opera debut in 1988 conducting Don Giovanni for the Florida Grand Opera. Judd was the last Music Director of the Florida Philharmonic, from 1987 to 2001. During his tenure, the orchestra suffered financial problems, and Judd served for 3 months as chairman of the board and donated a portion of his salary to assist the organisation. However, he was also criticised for expensive programming in his concerts.

In September 2003, Judd had been named the next music director of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. However, in April 2004, the MPO terminated the agreement with Judd without public explanation, and Judd never took up the post of the MPO's music director.

Judd served as music director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO), the first NZSO conductor with that title, from 1999 to 2007. He conducted several recordings with the NZSO for the Naxos label, and led the NZSO in its first-ever appearance at The Proms in August 2005. Judd now holds the title of Music Director Emeritus of the NZSO.

Judd and his wife Valerie, a former member of the New World Symphony Orchestra, have a daughter.


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