James Meaders

Dr James M. Meaders is Founder and Artistic Director of Vox Anima London, and conductor of Vox Anima Chamber Choir and Vox Populi - two UK-based ensembles that promote and perform the repertoire of today’s composers. He also conducts a traditional English Choral Society - Hurst Green Singers. James moved to England in 2017 following a 3-year stint with DCINY as Associate Artistic Director and Conductor. Prior to his arrival in New York in 2014, he spent 16 years on the faculty at Mississippi College. As Professor and Director of Choral Activities in the Department of Music, Dr Meaders’ choirs performed multiple invitational performances for conventions of the American Choral Directors Association at the state, divisional (2004 2008, 2014), and national (2005) level. He led the Mississippi College Singers on four international tours and concerts in such venerable venues as Washington National Cathedral, St. Peter’s, Vienna, Canterbury Cathedral, Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. He has presented multiple sessions on varied choral topics to state, divisional, and national conventions of ACDA, the National Association for Music Education, and the Association of British Choral Directors.

In New York, James had numerous appearances on the podium at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center dating back to 2006, with repertoire ranging from Chichester Psalms and Mozart Requiem to premieres of music by Dan Forrest and Kim André Arnesen. He has shared the stage with Ola Gjeilo on multiple concert appearances. In 2019, James made a return visit to New York as Guest Conductor for performances of the New York premiere of Dan Forrest’s LUX: The Dawn From On High in February at Carnegie Hall and Will Todd’s Songs of Peace (with Mr. Todd at the piano) in April at Lincoln Center. In London, James has conducted various UK premieres including Tuvayhun by Kim André Arnesen in Cadogan Hall and LUX: The Dawn From On High (upper voices) by Dan Forrest, in Southwark Cathedral.

In summer 2024 he conducted in the "Abbaye-aux-hommes" in Caen, France in a concert commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. In December 2024, James guest conducted for Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Birmingham, US for two performances of Handel's Messiah. 2025's monumental moment was conducting Dan Forrest's latest oratorio - CREATION - with a massed choir and orchestra of 240 musicians under the magnificent Octagon in Ely Cathedral. 

James has taught undergraduate and graduate conducting applied voice and chaired a university department of music. He was a practising church musician for more than 25 years before moving to New York and has conducted community choirs, numerous honour choirs, and many festivals. In partnership with several US choral colleagues, James created The International Partnership for Choral Music Education, an annual service learning-based symposium in Johannesburg, South Africa that is dedicated to promoting the development of the choral arts of South Africa.

With his wife, Alexandra, James recently established a charity Friends of the Vox which is based in Kent, England. The charity is passionate about the power of choral music to unite communities.