James has worked around Australia and internationally as a musical director, arranger and orchestrator.
Credits include the Australian tours of Chicago (musical director), 9 to 5 (musical director), Moulin Rouge! (associate musical director), Disney’s Aladdin (associate musical director) and Disney’s The Lion King (assistant musical director).
He was the musical director and orchestrator for Eddie Perfect’s Vivid White (Melbourne Theatre Company) and the Midsumma Extravangaza (Arts Centre Melbourne), as well as several world premiere shows for Adelaide Cabaret Festival: Lucky - Songs By Kylie, TWINS, Josie In The Bathhouse and Experiment.
While based in the UK, James was the musical director of Thérèse Raquin (Park Theatre, London) and Liza on an E (West End/UK Tour).
He was the orchestrator for My Brilliant Career (Monash University), Diamonds Are For Trevor (Sydney Opera House) and Virgins: A Musical Threesome (Echelon Productions – Malthouse Theatre, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Regional Arts Victoria tour), and can be heard as the musical director on the original cast recordings of My Brilliant Career, Thérèse Raquin, and Virgins: A Musical Threesome (all available on Spotify/Apple Music).
James graduated with distinction from the Master of Musical Theatre (Musical Directing) programme at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow.