James Kerr

James Limerick Kerr is a fingerstyle and classical guitarist, Dobro guitarist, and educator who brings a fountain of influences to his performance and teaching career. With playing “head and shoulders above most players” (The New Haven Register), his solo work incorporates original compositions for fingerstyle and resonator steel guitar (Dobro) along with Renaissance fantasias, classical guitar, bluegrass, ragtime, and Delta blues. Kerr’s latest recording, Lute Fantasias of Molinaro (Acis) is an exploration and transcription for guitar of eight of the marvelous but little known fantasias by Renaissance composer and lutenist Simone Molinaro, originally published in his lute book of 1599. “Kerr's dexterity is evident and he certainly possesses the skills to pull it off.” (Textura)

Kerr completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in classical guitar performance in 2016 at Stony Brook University (SUNY). He studied jazz as an undergrad at the University of Michigan, and received a master's in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Prior to joining the faculty at Smith as Lecturer of Music, Kerr was Associate in Music Performance faculty at Columbia University, where he taught applied classical and bluegrass guitar for a decade and directed the Bluegrass Ensemble. Other college level guitar teaching positions have included CT-State Naugatuck Valley, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY).

Kerr is the author of A Twenty-First Century Guidebook for Guitarists: Practice, Performance, and Teaching (Kendall Hunt), a textbook for college guitar students. An updated second edition was completed in 2025.

As a sideman or ensemble member Kerr has performed at such New York area venues as Irving Plaza, The Knitting Factory, Gracie Mansion, Trinity Church, The Wetlands, Symphony Space, as well as the Juilliard School and Yale University. Kerr has performed with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra and festival performances have included the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, The Craftsbury Chamber Festival, The Long Island Guitar Festival, The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, and the Battery Park Summer Concert Series in Manhattan. As a Dobro guitarist in NYC, Kerr had the opportunity to perform with several legendary artists including Mike Gordon (Phish), Jerry Douglas, Noam Pikelny, as well as chart-topping country singers Shenandoah in their NYC debut. Kerr is a two-time winner of the Connecticut Blues Society Solo/Duo Competitions, and has greatly enjoyed the opportunity to represent CT at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, with several sets on historic Beale Street.

Photo by Julian Parker-Burns