James Way

Tenor James Way is fast gaining international recognition for the versatility of his voice and commanding stage presence. James is passionate about a career taking in a variety of music as both performer and artistic director. Having followed his initial interest in baroque music through the young artist programmes of Les Arts Florissants and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment he immediately became in demand as a soloist for conductors including William Christie, Rene Jacobs, Harry Bicket and Trevor Pinnock. He is equally comfortable in later repertoire, with his debut recording of Britten Canticles nominated for a 2026 Gramophone Award.

Recent performances include Flute in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Dalia Stasevska at Glyndebourne Festival and also for Garsington Festival under Douglas Boyd, The Son in Laurent Pelly's production of Les Mamelles de Tiresias (winner of Best New Opera Production at the 2022 Opera Awards) with Robin Ticciati also for Glyndebourne Festival, Young King George Benjamin Lessons in Love and Violence with Orchestre de Paris, Sellem in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress with the Munich Philharmonic and Barbara Hannigan , Holy Fool Boris Godunov with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Jakub Hrůša and a return to the BBC Proms as the tenor soloist in Lili Boulanger’s Vielle prière bouddhique with Ryan Bancroft and BBCNOW. Performances of various Handel roles continue to take him around the world with performances at Carnegie Hall, Tokyo Opera City, Barbican and Paris Philharmonie amongst others.

This coming season’s highlights include Handel’s Alexander’s Feast with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra San Francisco under Peter Whelan, George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence with London Philharmonic Orchestra under Edward Gardner, Mozart Requiem with Residentie Orkest under Richard Egaar, George Benjamin’s Written on Skin with Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Britten Sereneade for tenor, horn and strings with Stefan Dohr and Malmö Opera Orchestra and the title role in Orpheus with Opera North under Jasdeep Singh Degun and Ashok Gupta.