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British-born conductor James Judd has built an international career defined by artistic leadership and passionate dedication to the music he serves. 

Music Director Emeritus of the New Zealand Symphony, Judd’s previous titles include Artistic Director of the Slovak Philharmonic and the Israel Symphony orchestras, Music Director of the Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra and the Principal Guest Conductor of the Orchestre National de Lille and the Adelaide Symphony. A highly sought after guest conductor, he has toured extensively and conducted in the world’s leading concert halls, collaborating with top-tier orchestras across Europe, Asia, and North America including orchestras  of Vienna, Prague, Leipzig, the Orchestre National de France, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and Zurich Tonhalle and Sydney Symphony, as well as Japan’s NHK Symphony, the Seoul Philharmonic, KBS Symphony and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. 

His artistry is further documented in an extensive discography spanning core orchestral repertoire—from Elgar and Vaughan Williams to Beethoven, Bernstein, Copland, Gershwin, and Mahler—released on leading labels including Naxos, Decca Records, EMI, Gramola, and Philips Records. A champion of the works of Gustav Mahler, Judd's recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 1 with the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra was awarded the Gold Medal by France's Diapason as well as the Toblacher Komponierhauschen for the best Mahler recording of the year.

Beyond the podium, he is the founder of the Miami Music Project, an initiative that has transformed the lives of thousands of underserved children through access to music education. A dedicated mentor, he has also led orchestras at elite institutions including the Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Trinity College of Music, as well as major training programs such as the Aspen Music Festival.