James Williams

James Williams studied singing, piano and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music in London.

During this time he also received mentorship from figures such as Richard Bonynge, Simon Keenlyside and John Shirley-Quirk.

From 2008 to 2018 he held a teaching position at Trinity College of Music and was Assistant Director of the Old Royal Naval College Chapel Choir in Greenwich, London. From 2016 to 2018 he was the Musical Director for Brent Opera, where he conducted Verdi’s Macbeth and Nabucco as well as von Flotow’s Martha. James worked as a répétiteur and conductor at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 2020 to 2023, during which time he oversaw and conducted Aszure Barton’s highly-acclaimed new ballet production Come In.

As a composer, his catalogue ranges from large-scale choral works to instrumental pieces and songs for voice and piano. The year 2020 saw his work Christ’s Nativity awarded 2nd place in Bristol Choral Society’s Mary Otty Composition Prize.

In his career as a baritone, James Williams appears internationally in operas and oratorios, and he also regularly gives recitals with his duo partner Meghan Behiel. In 2019 he received the Carl Nielsen Special Jury Prize at the Copenhagen Lied-Duo Competition and was runner-up at the London Song Festival with Roderick Williams. As a répétiteur and coach, he is involved in a wide variety of projects throughout Europe and organises recitals and chamber music evenings.