David Friddle, Music Director

David Friddle is a multi-faceted talent with a career spanning various domains. An author, conductor, composer, organist, designer, and chef, he holds two doctorates in music: from Juilliard School in organ performance (1988) and from the University of Miami in choral conducting (2006). With a diverse background, Friddle has served as a church musician across denominations, a graphic designer in New York and Miami, an adjunct faculty member at the University of South Carolina Upstate, and even honed his culinary skills as a line cook in Florence, Italy.

His commitment to community is evidenced by founding two gay men’s choruses in Greenville, SC, and Asheville, NC, and managing public events for SC and NC Gay Pride Marches in 1997 and 1998, respectively. An accomplished scholar, his dissertation on Franz Liszt’s Christus is published by Germany's Bärenreiter-Verlag, with his articles featured in reputable journals such as Choral Journal, American Choral Review, and The American Organist. His conducting repertoire spans seventeen states and Europe, with notable organ performances in England’s major cathedrals.

Friddle has been acknowledged with significant honors, including over $17,000 in awards and grants from the State of Minnesota. His scholarly works include publications in the Choral Journal, the American Choral Review, and the Journal of Singing. His expertise in Romantic music is reflected in two of his recent publications with Lexington Press in September 2022.

At Saint James, he leads the semi-professional choir, plays the organ for services, strategizes for a new digital organ, and orchestrates music for both regular and special services. Friddle extends his skills to the digital sphere, managing the church’s social media presence and website with regular updates.