James is a British-born singer, musicologist, teacher, and translator of Polish and Irish descent. He began his musical education as a chorister at All Saints Church, Kingston upon Thames, and went on to read Music at Cambridge University and Royal Holloway, University of London, where he completed his PhD. He studied singing at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and continues to learn privately with Arwel Treharne Morgan and Jeff Stewart.
As a singer, James has performed as a soloist and ensemble member throughout the UK and Europe. He made his international debut as Ferrando Così fan tutte with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra at the Birgitta Festival, Tallinn. Other opera roles include Don Ottavio Don Giovanni, Bardolfo Falstaff, Remendado Carmen for OperaUpClose, The Teapot and The Little Old Man L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, and Pluto in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld. He sang the role of Tenor Soloist/Stage Director in the Armonico Consort's highly successful touring production of Too Hot To Handel (Buxton Festival, Malvern Theatres, Theatre Royal Windsor), and created the role of Back-to-Front Policeman in Laura Bowler's The Sandman for Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival. He has also sung Chorus in numerous productions with Grange Park Opera, Opera Holland Park, and Bury Court Opera. James was introduced to opera at a young age, and as a treble sang the role of the Shepherd Boy Tosca alongside Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu for two seasons at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He subsequently recorded the role for EMI (under Antonio Pappano) and also appears in the DVD film version of the opera, directed by Benoît Jacquot.
Equally passionate about performing as a concert soloist, James has sung works including Bach's Christmas Oratorio, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Haydn The Seasons, Saint-Saëns Requiem, Charpentier Te Deum, Schumann Requiem, and Handel Messiah. Oratorio highlights include a performance of Mozart's Requiem with the Brandenburg Sinfonia at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, and Haydn's The Creation at Southwell Minster, with the Lincoln Chamber Orchestra.
Away from solo performance, James is an accomplished and highly experienced choral singer. He has worked with ensembles including the Academy of Ancient Music (Barbican Hall, London; NOSPR, Katowice), Sonoro chamber choir (St Magnus Festival, Kirkwall; St Gallen Festival, Switzerland), and Musica Saeculorum (Philharmonie Essen). He sings frequently with some of London's finest church & cathedral choirs, and is currently a regular member of the professional octet at St. Etheldreda's, Ely Place.
Although his performing interests are focused primarily on singing, James also has experience as a conductor and musical director. He conducted Vaughan Williams' Riders to the Sea (in his own re-orchestrated piano trio version) and Lennox Berkeley's A Dinner Engagement in a double bill performance for Bute Park Opera in 2014; he is a former Musical Director of the Coleridge Choir (part of Cambridgeshire Choral Society); and has assisted on projects for the Early Music ensemble Sforza, including as the Chorus Master for a concert performance of Handel's Semele (St Martin's Church, Cardiff). James has also participated in masterclasses (as both a singer and conductor) with Danish conductor Peter Hanke and the Voces Academy.
Alongside his various performing engagements, James is also active as a musicologist, and is in the early stages of an academic career. He recently completed his PhD on the later chamber music of George Enescu, and has presented his research at conferences throughout the UK, as well as in Italy and Romania. In 2017 he gave a lecture recital on the music of Karol Szymanowski at Ognisko Polskie (the Polish Hearth Club), in South Kensington. He is also a published translator of several articles and books (from Polish to English), with clients including the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Warsaw-based publishers Rosikon Press. Details of his academic profile and research output can be found here.
Promoters please do not reproduce this biography without permission.
As a singer, James has performed as a soloist and ensemble member throughout the UK and Europe. He made his international debut as Ferrando Così fan tutte with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra at the Birgitta Festival, Tallinn. Other opera roles include Don Ottavio Don Giovanni, Bardolfo Falstaff, Remendado Carmen for OperaUpClose, The Teapot and The Little Old Man L'Enfant et les Sortilèges, and Pluto in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld. He sang the role of Tenor Soloist/Stage Director in the Armonico Consort's highly successful touring production of Too Hot To Handel (Buxton Festival, Malvern Theatres, Theatre Royal Windsor), and created the role of Back-to-Front Policeman in Laura Bowler's The Sandman for Tête-à-Tête Opera Festival. He has also sung Chorus in numerous productions with Grange Park Opera, Opera Holland Park, and Bury Court Opera. James was introduced to opera at a young age, and as a treble sang the role of the Shepherd Boy Tosca alongside Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu for two seasons at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He subsequently recorded the role for EMI (under Antonio Pappano) and also appears in the DVD film version of the opera, directed by Benoît Jacquot.
Equally passionate about performing as a concert soloist, James has sung works including Bach's Christmas Oratorio, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Haydn The Seasons, Saint-Saëns Requiem, Charpentier Te Deum, Schumann Requiem, and Handel Messiah. Oratorio highlights include a performance of Mozart's Requiem with the Brandenburg Sinfonia at St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, and Haydn's The Creation at Southwell Minster, with the Lincoln Chamber Orchestra.
Away from solo performance, James is an accomplished and highly experienced choral singer. He has worked with ensembles including the Academy of Ancient Music (Barbican Hall, London; NOSPR, Katowice), Sonoro chamber choir (St Magnus Festival, Kirkwall; St Gallen Festival, Switzerland), and Musica Saeculorum (Philharmonie Essen). He sings frequently with some of London's finest church & cathedral choirs, and is currently a regular member of the professional octet at St. Etheldreda's, Ely Place.
Although his performing interests are focused primarily on singing, James also has experience as a conductor and musical director. He conducted Vaughan Williams' Riders to the Sea (in his own re-orchestrated piano trio version) and Lennox Berkeley's A Dinner Engagement in a double bill performance for Bute Park Opera in 2014; he is a former Musical Director of the Coleridge Choir (part of Cambridgeshire Choral Society); and has assisted on projects for the Early Music ensemble Sforza, including as the Chorus Master for a concert performance of Handel's Semele (St Martin's Church, Cardiff). James has also participated in masterclasses (as both a singer and conductor) with Danish conductor Peter Hanke and the Voces Academy.
Alongside his various performing engagements, James is also active as a musicologist, and is in the early stages of an academic career. He recently completed his PhD on the later chamber music of George Enescu, and has presented his research at conferences throughout the UK, as well as in Italy and Romania. In 2017 he gave a lecture recital on the music of Karol Szymanowski at Ognisko Polskie (the Polish Hearth Club), in South Kensington. He is also a published translator of several articles and books (from Polish to English), with clients including the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and Warsaw-based publishers Rosikon Press. Details of his academic profile and research output can be found here.
Promoters please do not reproduce this biography without permission.
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