Originally from Winona, MN, James Patrick Miller is a Grammy nominated conductor and educator traveling the nation and globe working with professional, military, community, university, and school ensembles. His work has brought him to guest conducting engagements and workshops with more than 100,000 high school students and tens of thousands of collegiate musicians since 2002. Dr. Miller has led wind ensembles, orchestras, choirs, and chamber ensembles around the nation and the globe. As a conducting mentor and pedagogue, Miller’s graduate and undergraduate conducting and education students have gone on to careers in professional and military conducting, college professorship, and K-12 music teaching positions across the US and around the world.

Professor Miller’s previous appointments include The Douglas Nimmo Endowed Professor of the Gustavus Wind Orchestra and Gustavus Adolphus College from 2014-2024, Director of Bands at The University of Massachusetts from 2009-2014, and Assistant Director of Bands and Choirs at Cornell University from 2002-2006. Miller won the American Choral Directors Association National Conducting Competition in New York City in 2002, becoming the youngest-ever recipient of the conducting prize. Maestro Miller also led the UMass Wind Ensemble to a Grammy nomination in 2015 for its recording of Stephen Paulus’ Concerto for Trumpets and Band. 

Miller’s ensembles have appeared at conferences of the College Band Directors National Association and Minnesota Music Educators Association 6 times, and he has led ensemble tours across the nation from New England to Las Vegas and to Norway, Sweden, Spain, and France. Performances under maestro Miller’s direction have earned praise from Pulitzer Prize winning composers Karel Husa, Gunther Schuller, and Steven Stucky, Emmy Award winning composers Bruce Broughton and Julie Giroux, Grammy Award winning composer Stephen Paulus, and renowned composers Katherine Bergman, Sydney Guillaume, David Maslanka, Oscar Navarro, James Stephenson, and many more. In 2018 Miller was pinned as an honorary officer in the United States Coast Guard during his appearance as the Captain Louis J. Buckley Guest Conductor with the United States Coast Guard Band and he has appeared as a guest conductor crossing the nation from California to Maine, Nevada to New Jersey, and beyond.

Earning the DMA in conducting from the University of Minnesota, the Master of Music in conducting from Ithaca College, and the Bachelor of Music in education from St. Olaf College, Miller has also held memberships in CBDNA, WASBE, NAfME, MICCA, ACDA, and MBDA. He was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda in 2001 and holds honorary memberships in Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Tau Beta Sigma, and Kappa Kappa Psi. Miller has also been noted as guest speaker, lecturer, and presenter, frequently sharing about conducting, leadership, mentorship, empathy, and his love of film and video game music.

Miller lives in St. Peter, MN with his wife, professional conductor and soprano Dr. Heidi Johanna Miller, their two daughters, two cats, two fish, and is a very below average golfer.