Winkler Music
About James Winkler
Winkler began conservatory training at the Mannes School of Music (in Manhattan), where he studied composition and piano with Neils Ostybe whose training represented an unbroken line back to Carl Philipp Emanual Bach. After studying piano and orchestration at the Berkeley School of Music, he received an undergraduate degree in composition and conducting from University of Wisconsin, Madison.
As a music educator he has taught piano to Peter Buck of REM, Bette Midler and others. He has produced, recorded and performed as a keyboard player with Charles Mingus, Gabor Szabo, The Mystic Nights of the Oingo Boingo, Benny Powell (Thadd Jones/ Mel Lewis, Count Basie), Johnny Guitar Watson, Alex Acuna (Weather Report), Bill Kreutzmann (Grateful Dead), Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), Todd Rundgren, Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), Steve Kimock, Lucas Nelson, Teddy Edwards, Don Ellis Orchestra, Ernie Andrews and others, and shared the stage with Leon Russell, Pharoah Sanders, Roland Kirk, and Los Lobos.
United Skates, the first feature film Winkler scored, world premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, was purchased by HBO, and nominated for an Emmy.
Areas of Expertise
“Love to collaborate. Available for all cool projects.” – JW
Recording: Remotely or Live | Performing: Most genres | Writing | Co-writing | Producing | Composing for film | Donating time and skills to socially conscious projects
