James is an Olivier nominated Opera, Choral and Orchestral Conductor based in Berlin where he enjoys a varied life as both coach and freelance conductor. In 2024, James won 1st prize and the Orchestra prize at the prestigious Kussewitzky International Conducting competition, resulting in multiple international debut invitations including Orchestra Sinfonica di Grosseto and Orchestra Sinfonica di Sanremo.

James studied Music at Clare College, Cambridge where he was a choral scholar and award winner as both conductor and pianist. He then went on to study repetiteuring at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. James has worked at many of the world's top opera houses, including Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Hamburgische Staatsoper, English National Opera. He has conducted performances for English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Garsington Festival Opera, English Touring Opera and Longborough Festival Opera.

Having graduated from Guildhall with Distinction, he immediately went on to assist Mark Wigglesworth at the Aldeburgh Music Festival and at the Proms with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He joined English National Opera in August 2015 and became ENO's youngest ever Chorus Master in August 2016. During his tenure the Chorus won a 2016 Olivier Award for 'Outstanding Achievement in Opera' and 'Best Chorus' at the International Opera Awards.

During James's time at ENO he made his London Coliseum debut as 2nd conductor in Birtwistle's Mask of Orpheus for which he received an Olivier award nomination. He conducted the UK premier of Jonathan Dove's The Day After named by the Guardian as one of Classical music's top 10 best things in 2017, and Britten's Paul Bunyan at Alexandra Palace.

Since Covid-19, James has been based in Berlin. He made his German conducting debut at the Hamburg Hochschule with a new piece Penelope, die. He returned to Hamburg in early 2023 to assist on a new production of Puccini's Il Trittico. James runs his own orchestra, The Outcry Ensemble, based in London, which performs new music and joined the Association of British Orchestras in 2025.

James has conducted operas for many of the UK's professional Opera companies. In 2015 James made his professional conducting debut with four performances of La Bohème for English Touring Opera. He has since made his debut with Longborough Festival Opera and Garsington Opera with productions of Die Zauberflöte, and has been Assistant Conductor to Stuart Stratford at Scottish Opera.