James Gilchrist

Tenor James Gilchrist began his working life as a doctor, turning to a full-time music career in 1996. His extensive concert repertoire has seen him perform in major concert halls throughout the world with renowned conductors including Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Roger Norrington, Bernard Labadie, Harry Christophers, Harry Bicket, Masaaki Suzuki and Richard Hickox.

A master of English music, he has performed Britten’s Church Parables in St Petersburg, in London and at the Aldeburgh Festival, Nocturne with the NHK Symphony in Tokyo and War Requiem with the San Francisco Symphony and the National Youth Orchestra of Germany. Recent highlights have included the role of Rev. Adams in Deborah Warner’s award-winning production of Britten’s Peter Grimes at the Teatro Real in Madrid and for his company debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, as well as with Bergen Philharmonic cond. Edward Gardner at the Edinburgh International Festival, the Royal Festival Hall, Grieghallen and Den Norske Opera.

Further notable appearances include Haydn’s Creation in a staged production with Garsington Opera and with Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Elijah with Goteborgs Symfoniker cond. Masaaki Suzuki, and Bach’s St Matthew Passion at King’s College, Cambridge as part of Stephen Cleobury’s final Easter week as Director of Music. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and the St John and St Matthew Passion feature prominently in James’ schedule, and he is celebrated as perhaps the finest Evangelist of his generation; as one review noted, “he hasn’t become a one-man Evangelist industry by chance”.

In the 2024-25 season, James will reprise of the role of Rev. Horace Adams in Deborah Warner’s acclaimed production of Britten’s Peter Grimes in his house debut at the Opera di Roma. Concert highlights this season include Bach’s Mass in B Minor with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with Finland’s Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra, Handel’s Israel in Egypt with the Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic Orchestra in Krakow, Poland, Messiah and Christmas Oratorio at London’s St John’s Smith Square with Polyphony and Stephen Layton and a tour of Bach’s St Matthew Passion to the Netherlands with De Nederlandse Bachvereniging. In recital, he appears with pianist Anna Tilbrook at the Oxford International Song Festival, Canterbury Music Club, Bayle Music Folkstone, Carwithen Music Festival, Wensleydale Concert Series and the Three Choirs Festival. James and Anna will also be joined by horn player, Ben Goldscheider, to present a trio programme at Sherborne Abbey Festival and at Champs Hill.

In 2022, James celebrated 25 years of collaboration with pianist Anna Tilbrook. Their latest recording of the songs of Roger Quilter was released on Chandos Records in 2024.

Updated September 2024