James Connolly is currently a first study singer in his second year as a student at the Royal Northern College of music, studying on the Vocal studies and Opera course. In his first year, he was awarded First prize in the Elsie Thurston competition, which was followed by a nomination for participation in the 2020 Junior Kathleen Ferrier bursary. James was also invited to join the opera chorus for the RNCM’s production of Poulenc's 'Dialogue des Carmelites' in his first term.

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The majority of James’s musical experience is in ensemble work. Prior to moving to Manchester, he sang with Norwich Cathedral Choir for two years as a bass choral scholar, under the direction of Ashley Grote. This amazing opportunity allowed him to emphatically broaden his knowledge of historical choral repertoire; participating in large scale concerts in the Cathedral including, but not limited to, Brahms’s ‘ein Deutsches Requiem,’ Bach’s ‘Saint John Passion’ and Mozart’s ‘Mass in C minor.’ As well as the weekly service commitments, James had his first experience singing in a radio choral evensong live broadcast. During his tenure at the Cathedral, James was also given the pleasure of collaborating with various choirs and choral societies in the County, including the roleof Jesus in Bob Chilcott’s ‘Saint John Passion.’

 

 Growing up in Hammersmith, London and attended the London Oratory school, where he sang with the London Oratory Schola. This included performances such as Bach’s St Matthew Passion and ‘B minor mass,’ along with singing at weekly Vigil masses at the Brompton Oratory Church under the direction of Charles Cole. In Sixth Form, he played the role of ‘Tinman’ in a production of ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ Having attended an Eton choral course, James was invited to join the Rodolfus choir, which gave him the oppurtuinity to perform alongside the Philharmonia voices and orchestra in a performance of the Verdi requiem at the Royal Festival Hall, directed by Ed Gardner. In the future, James aspires to expand his solo recital and performance experience, hopefully one day working with an Opera Touring company.