About James
James Zipfel is a fiddler and multi-instrumentalist who has extensive experience in teaching, music video recordings, string contracting, live performance, and recording sessions. He grew up playing bluegrass and celtic music in the aural tradition while pursuing his jazz and classical studies under the tutelage of Matthew Pickart in St. Louis, Missouri at Webster University. Later on, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee to further pursue his studies in commercial music and the music business at Belmont University. Here, he has studied with Billy Contreras, a widely renowned fiddler and session musician, Ryan Joseph Ogrodny, fiddler for Alan Jackson, and Justin Branum, winner of several national fiddle competitions.
James is currently focusing his time studying jazz styles and has been a core member of the Jazz String Septet at Belmont University for four years. His musical influences in Jazz are Jean-Luc Ponty, Tracy Silverman, both pioneers in the electric violin, Stephane Grappelli, Miles Davis, and Wayne Shorter. In the bluegrass and celtic sphere, his main influences lie in the playing of Kenny Baker, Vassar Clements, and Natalie MacMaster.
Although his career is in its early stages, James’ resume of notable collaborations include touring with Josh Groban as a member of the orchestra for his “Harmony” tour, shooting music videos for Cody Fry’s “I Hear a Symphony”, Tommee Profitt’s “O’ Come Emmanuel” and “Mary, Did You Know”, and playing with Bowling Green, Kentucky’s Symphony Orchestra. He has also led the string section for recording Summer League’s debut EP, “The Grandiose Affair”. He is an active participant in the local music scenes of Nashville and St. Louis, where he splits his time throughout the year. In his free time, James enjoys hiking, working with animals, thrifting, baseball, and going to local art fairs and festivals. He plans to continue his studies after his undergraduate work at Belmont University is completed.
