James is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, having studied the clarinet as a scholarship winner with professors such as Barnaby Robson, Nick Carpenter, Andrew Webster and Joy Farrall. Over the past few years, James has enjoyed successes as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician. As a solo player, James has given many recitals in venues such as at St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Royal Albert Hall, and has performed live on BBC Radio 3 as part of a Composer’s Portrait at the BBC Proms. He has also performed the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the East Surrey Symphony Orchestra.
As a chamber performer James has played at festivals such as the Ryedale Festival, the Paxos International Music Festival, and in venues such as St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Barbican and the Royal Festival Hall. He has also performed live on BBC Radio 3, and given world premiers of pieces in countries such as Holland, Belgium and Russia with his Aris Wind Quintet.
Orchestral playing has led to James playing abroad as the Principal Clarinet of the Indian Symphony Orchestra, as well as several performances in Italy and Croatia with the Guildhall Symphony, Chamber, and New Music Orchestras. In this country, he has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, various Raymond Gubbay Orchestras, the Orchestra of St John’s, the Amadeus Orchestra and the Orchestra of St Paul’s to name but a few. James is also on this year’s LPO Future First Scheme.
