James Sepulvado

James Sepulvado is a conductor, artistic director, and professor whose work centers on the long-term creation of ensembles and institutions capable of sustaining ambitious repertoire and meaningful musical experiences. His career reflects an unconventional but unified trajectory in which conducting functions not only as podium leadership, but as a broader form of artistic and civic responsibility.

He currently serves as Associate Professor of Music and Chair of the Performing Arts Department at Cuyamaca College, where he conducts the Concert Band and has led the rebuilding of the ensemble into a performance-driven collegiate program. Under his leadership, the ensemble has presented major works of the wind repertoire, including multiple symphonies by David Maslanka, reflecting a commitment to music of depth, scale, and expressive seriousness.

Sepulvado is President and Co-Founder of San Diego Winds, a nonprofit organization centered on a professional wind ensemble. Under his leadership, the organization has become a platform for extended repertoire projects, composer residencies, commissions, and sustained artistic collaboration. His work with San Diego Winds reflects a belief that great music requires time, trust, and institutional structures that support artistic risk and growth.

In addition to his work with wind ensembles, Sepulvado has played a key role in presenting professional chamber music through the ECHO Chamber Music Series at Cuyamaca College. He is also Founder and Director of the San Diego Summer Music Institute (SDSMI), one of the largest summer music programs in the country, and RAMP (Responsive Arts for Music Professionals), a professional learning initiative for music educators that includes a conductors symposium featuring internationally recognized artists.

Sepulvado’s artistic philosophy has been shaped by figures such as Leonard Bernstein and David Maslanka, both of whom emphasized music as a living, ethical, and human practice. He is the author of The Joy of Listening to Music (Great River Learning, 2020) and a frequent guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. His work has been recognized through awards including the Yamaha “40 Under 40” Award and a quarter-finalist placement in the Warsaw International Wind Band Conducting Competition.