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, James has performed Britten’s Church Parables in St Petersburg, 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 include the role of Rev. Adams in Deborah Warner’s award-winning production of Britten’s Peter Grimes at the Opera de Paris, Teatro Real Madrid and at Covent Garden. 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”.

Highlights of the 2023-24 season include Bach’s Mass in B Minor with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Richard Egarr, Handel’s Messiah with the Hallé Orchestra and Stephen Layton and with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Valladolid, and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio on tour in Austria with L’Orfeo Barockorchester. James also releases a recording of the songs of Roger Quilter with Anna Tilbrook for Chandos Records. Future plans include his house debut as Rev. Adams at the Opera di Roma.