Dr. James Melton
Executive Director

­Dr. James Melton is conductor and director of the Coastal California Chorale, a community chorus brought together in 2018 to record and premiere “Consolation for the Suffering”, a major work composed by Dr. Edwin Willmington (Fuller Seminary and the Brehm Center for Worship & the Arts) to provide greater awareness of the persecuted church around the world.  As a part of Music Across Borders, the Coastal California Chorale promotes and celebrates the art of choral music through performance and education, emphasizing sacred Christian music, serving diverse audiences both locally and internationally. The current roster of over 100 singers represents over 30 churches and other organizations from the Orange County area. Most recently during 2022, the CC Chorale performed and toured in Germany and Austria

Dr. Melton has leadership experience at both the college and seminary level for over 40 years, including Western Baptist Seminary, Phoenix Seminary, and Arizona College of the Bible (now Arizona Christian University). For 25 years, James taught at Vanguard University of Southern California (Costa Mesa) where he served as Chair of the Department of Music, as well as Dean of Communication & the Arts during his tenure as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities. His various ensembles presented concerts throughout the U.S., and toured extensively both nationally and internationally in major concert halls around the world, including Europe, China, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

As a guest maestro for Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, James has conducted major works by Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Handel, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schubert, and Vivaldi, as well as world premieres by contemporary composers as Dan Forrest, Ola Gjeilo, and Rosephayne Powell. His combined choirs were invited to perform in Germany, Austria and Switzerland during 2017 in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.  His University Concert Choir, church choirs and other vocal ensembles have presented command performances at both Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall, most recently in 2019, and were frequently featured on the Hour of Power’s national and international television broadcasts.  His various choirs and ensembles have over 25 recording projects to their credit.

Dr. Melton earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree (DMA) in Choral Music & Conducting from Arizona State University as well as the Master of Music degree (MM) in Conducting, and received his Bachelor of Music Education degree (emphasis in piano and voice, BME) from Oklahoma Baptist University. While at OBU he won several artist scholarships and awards in addition to performing throughout the southwestern and mid-western U.S.  Dr. Melton has over 45 years of experience leading music and worship ministries in churches of various denominations, most recently at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach. He has also served on the staff of Newport-Mesa Church (CA), Scottsdale Bible Church (AZ), Mountain View Baptist Church (Phoenix), University Baptist Church, (Oklahoma), and Faith Baptist Church (Kailua, Hawaii). He has composed and arranged music for publishing companies as Brentwood/John W. Peterson Music Company and Tempo Music.  Dr. Melton has recorded and produced choral recordings for Hal Leonard Publications, Fred Bock Music, Jubal House, and Pavane Music Companies.  He has served as a contributing editor for the updated edition of “The New Worship”: Straight Talk on Music and the Church (Baker Books), as well as the “Leadership in Church Music” academic Journal, as well as contributing to several published devotional books and writing numerous articles on worship and church leadership.

Dr. Melton is a frequent choral clinician and adjudicator, serving as guest conductor for California regional and district festivals as well as directing regional and state choirs in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and his home state of Hawaii. He is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, the National Association of Church Musicians, and the College Music Society.