James Elza Domine

James Elza Domine, composer, conductor, guitarist, novelist, poet and playwright was born October 9, 1953, in Pasadena, California, the eldest of three boys born to Norma Jean and James Bernard Domine. He received preschool lessons in reading from his Aunt, Gloria Lyons Horrworth, whom he credits with awakening an early interest in books and storytelling. Domine attended public schools in the west San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, specifically Calvert Street Elementary and Parkman Middle School, graduating from Taft High School in 1971. At an early age he displayed a precocious interest in music, playing violin in the school orchestras and taking piano lessons.

Under the tutelage of piano teacher Patricia Scheer he made his first efforts at musical composition, including a Sonatina in D minor and other short pieces for piano. At the suggestion of his violin instructor Minna Shanahan, he composed a Suite for violin and piano and a String Quartet in E minor. Domine began the formal study of composition and theory with Harold Victor Johnson at age 16.

At about this time Domine undertook the study of classical guitar, taking lessons initially from Mark Bradshaw, a guitarist based at a local music store, soon receiving more advanced instruction from Ron Purcell, a faculty member at California State University, Northridge. Domine made his first serious compositional efforts in the form of three suites for solo guitar in E minor, D major and A minor. These suites were subsequently arranged as concerti for guitar and chamber orchestra, and form the point of departure for his repertoire both as performer and composer.

Domine entered UCLA in the Fall Quarter of 1971 where for the next few years he studied composition with Paul Chihara and Roy Travis, among others. There he continued his study of the classical guitar repertoire with Theodore Norman. While at UCLA he played violin in the orchestra under conductors Mehli Mehta and Samuel Krachmalnick, and also performed with the A Cappella Choir under the direction of Roger Wagner. Domine’s first public success as a composer came on May 10, 1977 when his Requiem conducted by Roger Wagner was received with a standing ovation by an enthusiastic capacity audience that filled Schoenberg Hall.

In keeping with a time-honored tradition that has classical musicians participating in the popular music arena in addition to their more serious endeavors, Domine played lead guitar and wrote songs for the Molay Band, a rock group active in the fraternity parties and beer bars of West LA in the 1970s. The songs Domine composed for this band were recorded in an album entitled Waiting for the Bus, and he has remained involved with pop music throughout his musical life.

After graduating from UCLA, finding himself without any real prospects other than the ever-elusive and not very lucrative dream of success in the rock and roll world, Domine switched gears and became the owner-operator of a printing business, the Copy Center of Canoga Park. Through this business he became involved with community organizations that later helped to establish the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra. Through the Copy Center, Domine became active in the community, serving two terms as President of the Canoga Park Rotary Club, three years as President of the Winnetka Chamber of Commerce, and Governor of Rotary District 5260 for 1999-2000.

In 1979 Domine entered the University of Southern California where he earned his Masters Degree on a full scholarship. There he studied composition and theory with Ellis Kohs, Dorrance Stalvey and Leonard Stein. 

In this same year he founded the Van Nuys Civic Orchestra, a community-based group that eventually became the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra. Today, the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra boasts a year-round concert series at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. His ensemble now plays a leading role in expanding the musical horizons of Southern California residents. As music director and conductor, he has led the orchestra in over a thousand concert performances.

Domine’s many musical compositions include symphonies, concerti, a ballet, an opera, chamber music and solo instrumental pieces. The complete works of James Domine, including program notes, are listed in the catalogue of his compositions posted online at www.sfvsymphony.  He has also written music for rock band Vanilla Fudge and jazz artist Gary Herbig.

Domine has written a novel entitled The Naked Man, published in 2006, a story of contemporary life in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. The book is currently available on-line and forms the basis for his musical theater play, Tomahawk, that received its premiere at the Actors Forum Theater in North Hollywood, California in January 2008. Although Tomahawk was Domine’s first foray into the realms of theater as author and director, he is no stranger to the stage having served as musical director for many productions and having composed an opera, Luke and Sarah, and a ballet score entitled Legend of Taliesin that received its inaugural performance in November 2007. His multi-faceted talents are also manifested in his seven epic poems, The Shadow Game, A Song of Summer, Nova Caligula: Idyll of the King, Abelard & Heloise, (a medieval romance), A Western Dream and Default Mode.

Domine teaches music at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California, where he has developed a dedicated cadre of symphony aficionados. He is currently working on completing the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University