Artists

A recipient of the Richard Tauber Prize for best interpretation of a Schubert Lied at the 2015 Wigmore Hall/Kohn International Song Competition, James has since enjoyed a close relationship with the Hall, a recent highlight being a performance of Die schöne Müllerin with Simon Lepper.

Most recently, he was awarded a prestigious Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, in recognition and support of his emerging status as one of the most outstanding young musicians of his generation, and last summer he took part in their twentieth anniversary celebrations at Wigmore Hall singing Mahler with Mitsuko Uchida.

In September 2019 James joined the Ensemble of the Staatsoper Hannover where in 2021 he garnered particular praise for his debut as Eddy in Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Greek. Other important role debuts in Hannover include Guglielmo Così fan tutte and the title role in Eugene Onegin.

Following his French opera debut last year as Der Junker in Schreker Der Schatzgräber at Opéra National du Rhin and his Berlin debut at the Komische Oper Berlin singing Guglielmo, this season James will make his debut at the Theater an der Wien singing Maximilian in Bernstein’s Candide and return to Staatsoper Hannover for a revival of Eugene Onegin. He will also make his Garsington Opera debut in 2024, and a major role debut at Opéra de Lausanne in the 2024/25 season.

Recordings remain an important part of his schedule with a recent highlight being the release of his debut solo CD I Wonder as I Wander on BIS Records in 2020 with pianist Joseph Middleton, winner of the Diapason d’Or Découverte and described in Gramophone Magazine as “a performance that sets the tone, announcing Newby as an impressive artist”.

His many recitals this season include appearances at the Two Moors Festival with Christopher Glynn, Palau de la Musica Barcelona and Wigmore Hall with Joseph Middleton and the Ludlow Festival of Song with Iain Burnside.  He will also tour Europe singing the St John Passion with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century and Daniel Reuss.

Past concert performances included Haydn The Creation with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Bart Van Reyn; Handel’s Messiah with Harry Christophers and The Sixteen; Berlioz with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Mozart with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also appeared in baroque repertoire with conductors David Bates, Jonathan Cohen and John Butt, toured in Europe with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century singing Bach and made his US debut with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Juanjo Mena.

James studies with Robert Dean.