BIOGRAPHY

James is an Australian classical pianist of the new generation. James has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, having won first prize in the East Coast International Competition 2017 (USA). He was also the first prize winner of the Melbourne International Piano Festival Competition 2019.

James completed his secondary education initially at the Victorian College of the Arts, and later at Melbourne High School. By age 15, he had been awarded Associate (AMusA) and Licentiate (LMusA) diplomas in music. He also received the Victorian Premier’s Award for Music Performance. Later, James completed a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) double degree at Monash University, where he was a recipient of the Jascha Spivakovsky Prize, the Joan Earle Prize, the Chamber Music Prize, and the Cengage Western Music Theory Prize. Upon graduation, James received postgraduate offers from the Royal Academy of Music, the Guildhall School of Music, and the Royal Northern College of Music.

James made his concerto debut with the Zelman Symphony Orchestra, performing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No 1. Aside from his Carnegie Hall appearance, he has performed on the stages of the Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne Town Hall, and Robert Blackwood Hall, and has been broadcast on the 3MBS (103.5 FM) and Pulse (94.7 FM) radio stations.