James Newby
is currently a BBC New Generation Artist (2018-2021), an EHCO Rising Star for the 20-21 season (nominated by the Barbican Hall) and an Ensemble member of Staatsoper Hannover (2019-2021). Although still in his twenties, James is already the recipient of multiple awards, including the 2016 Kathleen Ferrier Award, the Wigmore Hall/Independent Opera Voice Fellowship (2016), the Richard Tauber Prize (for best interpretation of a Schubert Lied), overall Third Prize at the Wigmore Hall/Kohn International Song Competition (2015), the Trinity Gold Medal (2017), Glyndebourne’s prestigious John Christie Award (2017) and a Rising Star for Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s 2017-2019 scheme.

James enjoys a busy schedule as a recitalist with appearances at the Wigmore Hall including a shared recital with Dame Sarah Connolly, Leeds Lieder, Oxford Lieder and Perth International Arts Festival, Australia working with pianists Joseph Middleton, Simon Lepper, Garry Matthewman and Panaretos Kyriatzidis.

In September 2019 James joined the ensemble of the Staatsoper Hannover and roles for the forthcoming season will include: Anthony Hope/Sweeney Todd, Belcore/L’Elisir d’Amore and Guglielmo/Cosi fan Tutte. James was a 2017 Jerwood Young Artist at Glyndebourne Festival Opera and appeared in La Traviata, Hamlet, La Clemenza di Tito and the role of the notary in Don Pasquale. Other operatic roles include Count Almaviva Le Nozze di Figaro for Nevill Holt Opera, Howard Moody’s PUSH for Glyndebourne Opera and most recently for his debut at La Monnaie Brussels, and a staged Bach St John Passion (Jesus) with the Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa, directed by Calixto Bieito.

In concert James has appeared at the BBC Proms singing Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music conducted by Sakari Oramo, with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Douglas Boyd (Berlioz), Gabrieli Consort (Purcell), La Nuova Musica and RTE National Symphony Orchestra (Bach). Performances with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment have included ‘Christus’ in the world premiere of Sally Beamish’s The Judas Passion; the role of Apollo in Handel’s Apollo e Dafne under Jonathan Cohen, St Matthew Passion under John Butt and various Bach Cantatas as part of the OAE’s ‘Bach, the Universe and Everything’ series at Kings Place, London. He recently made debuts with the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century (Handel’s Messiah) and with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under Juanjo Mena as part of the Cincinnati May Festival.

Future highlights, in addition to his roles in Hannover, include debuts with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and his debut at the Liceu Opera Barcelona for semi-staged performances of Wintereisse. He will also give a series of recitals at major concert halls throughout Europe, as part of his involvement with the European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO) “Rising Stars” Programme. This season will also see the release of his debut solo CD “From The Distant Beloved” on BIS Records, with pianist Joseph Middleton.

James studies with Robert Dean.