Over more than twenty five years, James (he/him) has worked in the performing arts. He believes deeply in the power of live storytelling to quantify the human experience. His work strives to examine how exceptional contributions are achieved. James believes that deeper insight into our most profound achievements, gives us a more nuanced perspective on our communities. He hopes that this perspective nurtures in us a greater capacity and willingness to make considered, sustainable and lasting contributions to the world.

James has worked as a Performer, Administrator, Producer, Director and Educator. He is the Founder and Principal of Hemis Digital, Founder of Hemis Theatrical, the General Manager of the Ciompi String Quartet and the President and General Director of the Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab, a 501c3 organization dedicated to the development, fostering and progression of artist driven musical theatre works.

As a performer, James has appeared throughout the world with The MDR Sinfonieorchester, The Kurt Weill Festival, The Ravinia Festival, Queensland Opera, The Beijing Modern Music Festival, The Argento Ensemble, La Mamma, Merola Opera Program, Toledo Opera, Opera Omaha, Queensland Opera, The Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, The Little Orchestra Society of New York, The Otago Arts Festival, The Auckland Festival, The Orpheus Choir, The Banff Centre, The Paul Dresher Ensemble the New Zealand Opera and The New Zealand Festival. James has won both the Lotte Lenya and the Joy in Singing competitions. He is a passionate advocate of the art song repertoire and a champion of new music and new musical theatre.

In 2015 James appeared with the Argento Ensemble in their new arrangement of Mahler’s Das Lied von Der Erde for chamber orchestra. This performance was named in the New York Concert Review’s Top Ten Performances of 2015.

James has performed numerous roles in both Opera and Musical Theatre including: Candide, Kudrjash: Kátya Kabanová, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tamino: Die Zauberflöte, Camille: The Merry Widow, Anthony Hope: Sweeney Todd, Marco Polo: Invisible Cities, Albert Herring, Jean Valjean: Les Misérables, Captain Von Trapp: Sound of Music, Frank Butler: Annie Get Your Gun, Young Frankenstein, Jekyll and Hyde, Curly: Oklahoma!, Mr Wormwood: Matilda, Harold: The Full Monty.

James is a passionate advocate of the art song repertoire and a champion of new music. His awards include: An Arts Excellence Award from the Dame Malvina Major Foundation (2010), Winner of the Joy in Singing Competition (2008), the Lotte Lenya Competition (2007), Wellington Rotary Scholarship, Marie D’Albini Scholarship, Bell Gully Travel Award, Sir Henry Cooper Memorial Scholarship in Music, as well as grants from the Lankhuyzen/Whetu Kairangi Masonic Trust, The Kurt Weill Foundation, Merola Opera Program and the Malvina Major Foundation.

In 2014 James produced his debut album, Exiled: The Evolution of Kurt Weill. Following its release he wrote, produced and performed a live “Docucital’ which he has produced throughout New Zealand and in the United States. He also produced and performed in Together Again, and Lloyd Webber to Puccini, An Evening of Music at the ASB Theatre, Marlborough, NZ.

As a director, James has created productions of the operas Albert Herring, Don Giovanni,The Rape of Lucretia, Gianni Schicchi, La Rondine and Turn of the Screw. In musical theatre he has directed Sondheim’s Putting It Together and Camelot.

Born and raised in New Zealand, James has been based in New York City since 2005. He holds degrees from Victoria University of Wellington and the Manhattan School of Music where he was the Orvis Foundation Scholar and received the Janet D. Schenck Award for his distinguished contribution to the life of the school. He has studied voice with Dr. Robert White, Joan Patenaude-Yarnell, César Ulloa, Neil Rosenshein and Emily Mair. In 2024 James completed the Commercial Theatre Institute’s Three-Day Producer Intensive.