Church Musician
Organist, Countertenor, Composer, Pianist
James is the Organ Scholar at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon. He holds a Bachelors of Music in Organ Performance (2025) with a Minor in Historical Performance in Voice from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He graduated with High Distinction and received the Performer's Certificate for his senior recital. At IU, he was a student of Christopher Young, and studied additionally with Jeffrey Smith (improvisation), Judith Malafronte (voice), Johnathan Oddie (continuo playing) and Cléa Galhano (recorder).
At Trinity, James works as the assistant organist and principal accompanist for services and concerts for the cathedral choir, cathedral schola, and choir school. He is also heavily involved in the choir school as a teacher, training choir conductor, and teaches piano lessons to choristers. Trinity music keeps a full music list for services, with monthly choral evensong and regular concerts.
James has extensive experience as an early musician, improviser, accompanist, continuo player, and pianist, solo and collaborative. As a countertenor, James has been the alto soloist for thirteen cantatas by J.S. Bach, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and oratorio such as Telemann's Die Donner-Ode. James has significant choral singing experience, and has performed Bruckner's Te deum, Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem, Frank Martin' Mass for double choir, and a wide array of Renaissance music and Anglican choral repertoire.
Most recently, James has been establishing himself as a composer, writing organ music (to your right), choral anthems, and a competition-winning art song with original lyrics by Macey Rowland "Eä illúve estel."
Previously, he has served as the organist at Camas United Methodist Church in Camas, Washington. In Bloomington, Indiana he was the Assistant Organist at First United Methodist Church for three years.
James loves, and lives to make music as both a soloist and collaborator, and feels very much at home in a liturgical setting as well as concert performances.
