James read Economics at the University of Birmingham before studying French Horn at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama in Glasgow. He was 3rd Horn with Scottish Ballet for several years and performed regularly with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Opera.
James has also worked with many of the other major British orchestras, most frequently the BBC Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonia and is currently a Horn tutor at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.
James gets most enjoyment at WNO from the foreign tours that the company has been on in recent years, in particular the trips to Finland and Dubai.