James Bryant
Director of Music, Adult Choir and Bell Choir Director
Jim Bryant has recently passed forty years of serving the Church through musical leadership. He began playing the organ in the Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church (Huntington, WV) under the tutelage of Carolyn McDowell, wife of choir director Henry McDowell. He was later selected as the first student accompanist for the West Virginia High School All-State Chorus. After high school, he attended Westminster Choir College (now a part of Rider University), earning Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees, and serving as accompanist for various choirs throughout his college career. He was privileged to serve as rehearsal accompanist under major orchestral conductors such as Robert Shaw, Leonard Bernstein, Antal Dorati, Pierre Boulez, and Loren Maazel. He led the choirs and played the organ for the Bordentown United Methodist Church in New Jersey for about two years.
Since moving to Virginia, he served as organist and handbell choir director at Blacksburg Baptist Church for fifteen years, during which time his ‘day job’ was as Information Systems manager at Virginia Tech Services, Inc. He became organist at Blacksburg Presbyterian in 1994, and assumed the position of Music Director in 1996. Having served several churches in a number of denominations, Jim has developed a wealth of experience as an ecumenical church musician.
In the 1990's, Mr. Bryant was accompanist for the Blacksburg Master Chorale, and worked for several years as rehearsal accompanist and orchestra member for Opera Roanoke’s productions under Craig Fields, Victoria Bond, David Wiley, and other conductors. In 1998, he began serving the Music Department at Virginia Tech as an adjunct instructor for their keyboard lab classes, and as accompanist for instrumental students’ recitals.