James Southall

James Southall joined the Music Staff of Welsh National Opera in 2008. Since then he has been the principal conductor for productions of Don Giovanni, Le Vin herbé and The Barber of Seville.

James has assisted conductors including Tomáš Hanus and Lothar Koenigs and has conducted performances on tour of Carmen, The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte,Die Fledermaus and Sweeney Todd. He has also been involved in the musical preparation for many operas as a repetiteur. James is a regular conductor of the WNO Family Concerts.

Away from WNO, he conducted The Magic Flute for English Touring Opera and has worked with Camerata Nordica and Sinfonia Cymru in concert.

James read music and was Organ Scholar at Queens’ College, Cambridge before postgraduate studies at the RCM where he studied with Roger Vignoles and John Blakely. James was a cellist for two years in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain.

Recent engagements: Conductor Don Giovanni, Die Fledermaus, Le Vin herbé