James is a British musical director, editor, and arranger. A former staff conductor at English National Opera and Head of Music at Opera North, he has been pivotal in bringing classic American musical theatre to the UK stage. At ENO, he conducted the first British production of a Stephen Sondheim work—Pacific Overtures—which earned a US Grammy nomination, and established a focus on Kurt Weill, conducting Street Scene and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.
At Opera North, his productions of Weill’s One Touch of Venus, Seven Deadly Sins, the UK premiere of Der Kuhhandel, and a 2019 Street Scene have been central to the company’s repertoire. Other highlights include Sweeney Todd, Carousel, Into the Woods, and Kiss Me, Kate. Elsewhere, he conducted the British stage premiere of Weill’s Zaubernacht for the Royal Opera House and the first Berlin performances of Street Scene.
He has appeared at the Kurt Weill Festival in Dessau, conducted Wonderful Town at the Vienna Volksoper, and Weill in concert in New York and San Jose. He serves on the Lotte Lenya Competition jury and is Volume Editor for the Kurt Weill Edition, with critical editions premiered by the Berlin Philharmonic and upcoming recordings.
In recognition of his lifetime dedication to Kurt Weill’s music, he received the Kurt Weill Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
He served as music consultant for Persona Arts’ acclaimed 2024 performances of Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) and accompanist for the community masterclass with Susan Bullock CBE.