James Crowley was born in Chicago in 1963. He earned the Bachelor of Music degree in Composition from the University of Illinois, where he was named to the Bronze Tablet - the University's highest academic honor. From 1987 to 1990 he was a member of the administrative staff of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and in 1991 he held a Teaching Fellowship at the Aspen Music School. He earned the MM and DM in composition from Northwestern University, and served on the faculty of Drury University (Missouri) from 1994-98. His works have been performed by the Minnesota Orchestra, Eastman Wind Symphony, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, the Interlochen Academy Symphonic Band, the Millar Brass Ensemble, Northwestern Symphony Orchestra, and other ensembles. His music has also been presented at Indiana University, Cleveland State University, University of Illinois, Ithaca College, University of Louisville, Bowling Green State University, Akademie der Künste (Berlin) and in Cape Town, South Africa. He was awarded the 1991 William T. Faricy Prize in Composition by Northwestern and has received commissions from the Music Teachers National Association and the National String Teachers Association. He was awarded a 1996 grant from Meet-The-Composer, Inc. to be guest composer/conductor at Symposium XXI for New Band Music at Virginia Tech University, and his 1997 work Danse Lunaire is published by European-American Music in the SCI Journal of Music Scores. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Alliance of Composers.