James is currently working as a full time double bass player, primarily in London, but also across the UK and abroad. He has a wealth of experience as an orchestral musician, initially winning two major orchestral schemes with the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra while studying at the Royal Academy of Music with Graham Mitchell, Tom Goodman, and Dominic Seldis. Hugh Sparrow and Neil Tarlton also taught James before his undergraduate (at Trinity and at the Junior Academy), along with Simon Benson, all three of whom showed him the various avenues and opportunities open for someone deciding to peruse a career in music.

Since his studies, he’s won two tutti position auditions with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, and is starting a new contract in 2026 with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. James frequently freelances with the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic and Concert Orchestra, Sinfonia of London (with John Wilson) and has experience in both opera (English National Opera) and ballet (Royal Ballet Sinfonia and English National Ballet).

Another core part of James’ career has situated around smaller ensembles, some such as The Allora Ensemble which recently won an audition with the Tunnel Trust and gave their initial debut at the Royal Festival Hall in 2025, a Piazzolla quintet playing with Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi (notably at the Stradivari Festival, as well as across Italy, Europe, and the Middle East), and with the Whitman Ensemble from 2019-2022, a group founded by James as a piano and double bass quintet (which gave their debut at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington). He equally performs as a deputy for other ensembles, such as London Tango or the Meliora Collective. 

Some particular career highlights include engagements with the LSO and Simon Rattle, particularly on his farewell tour and BBC Prom playing Mahler’s 9th Symphony, along with Riccardo Muti returning to the Philharmonia for Verdi’s requiem in 2025. James also gave his debut at the Wigmore Hall for the Academy’s Bi-centenary Mahler 4 performance in 2022.

James taught the double bass at Harrow School as a visiting music teacher, and covers teaching at the Junior Department for the Royal Academy of Music along with coaching at Eton College. His younger, privately taught students have progressed into the National Children’s Orchestra and have won places at all of the London Junior music departments (RAM, RCM, Guildhall and Trinity) where they’ve been passed on to new teachers to access new opportunities.