JAMES GROSSMITH was organ scholar of Clare College, Cambridge before winning a scholarship for postgraduate conducting studies with Martyn Brabbins at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD). Upon completing his Masters in Conducting James was awarded the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians and until 2005 acted as Director of Choral Music at the Academy, regularly conducting the RSAMD symphony orchestra, chamber choir and chorus.

In January 2006 James was appointed as Chorusmaster of Scottish Opera and since then he has conducted the company in performances of Handel's Tamerlano, Donizetti's Lucia Di Lammermoor, Mozart's Seraglio, Wier's A night at the Chinese Opera, Chimarosa's The Secret Marriage and Stravinsky's Pulcinella. 

As Chorusmaster of the company has he has also prepared Scottish Opera chorus for productions of Don Giovanni, Carmen, Der Rosenkavalier, Madama Butterfly, Cosi fan tutte, The Two Widows and Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

In addition to his work at Scottish Opera James has directed the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera for All, the London Sinfonietta, the Edinburgh Festival Chorus, the Aberdeen Sinfonietta, Haddo House Opera and the Paragon Ensemble.

Last year James conducted the premiere of Ronald Stevenson’s choral epic, Praise of Ben Dorain with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the 2008 Celtic Connections Festival and in two Listen Here! orchestral concerts in Glasgow City Halls.

Reviews of James' work can be found under the media section of this website. The Herald newspaper also chose James as one of its four Rising Classical Stars for 2008.