James Taylor is a North Carolina–based tenor recognized for his expressive musicianship and versatility across choral, oratorio, and operatic repertoire. An active and enthusiastic collaborator, he has performed with regional professional ensembles including Raleigh Bach Soloists, North Carolina Choral Artists, Rocky Mount Chamber Choir, Wilmington Choral Scholars, and Wilmington Voices. James is a private voice student of Dr. Nancy King and serves as a Choral Scholar at First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington. His work as a choral scholar has included long-term appointments in Wilmington and Rocky Mount, as well as engagements with prominent Episcopal and Presbyterian sacred music programs throughout the region.

As a soloist, James has appeared in works such as Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Saint-Saëns’s Oratorio de Noël, Bach’s Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV 61, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, Forrest’s Requiem for the Living, Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard, and David von Kampen’s A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth. Recent operatic highlights include the role of Monostatos in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with Opera Wilmington, Saint Chavez in Virgil Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts, as well as ensemble roles with the North Carolina Opera.

As a choral musician, James competed in the 13th International Maribor Choral Competition Gallus in Maribor, Slovenia and the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing in Varna, Bulgaria. James has also performed in several choral engagements with the New England Symphonic Ensemble in New York City at Carnegie Hall.

Along with his work as a performer, James is deeply engaged in arts leadership and administration. He has served on the Board of Directors for several non-profit organizations and is a founding member and Executive Director of North Carolina Choral Artists, a project-based ensemble dedicated to championing under-represented voices and highlighting the music of living composers.

James attended East Carolina University, where he studied Liberal Arts and Business, and continued his education at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where he is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. During his time at ECU, James performed with the critically acclaimed ECU Chamber Singers and the ECU Opera Theater, and studied voice with GRAMMY®-nominated tenor, Dr. Daniel Shirley.

When not performing, James serves as a Research Administrator at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In his free time, he enjoys spending time at the beach and taking care of his house plants.