James Wilson

For more than thirty years, cellist James Wilson has nurtured and enjoyed an exciting and varied career as performer, educator, and composer, bringing the joy of music to audiences throughout the world, from small towns to the world’s most illustrious venues. Acclaimed for his singing tone, and intelligent and soulful approach to music, the Los Angeles Times described Wilson as a musician “with something to say and a commanding way of saying it.”

As recitalist and chamber musician, he has appeared in many of the world’s most illustrious performing spaces, including America’s Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Sydney Opera House, the Basilica of Notre-Dame in Montreal, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Musikverein in Vienna. He has performed at music festivals around the world such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the City of London Festival, the Deutches Mozartfest in Bavaria, the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland, the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York, and the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado.

The multi-faceted Mr. Wilson is a member and has been the Artistic Coordinator of the Grammy-winning Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and regularly serves as guest principal cellist of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. A lover of period performance practice, Mr. Wilson performs on Baroque cello throughout North America and Europe. His performances have been broadcast on West German Radio and Bavarian Radio in Germany, CBC radio in Canada, BBC Radio in Britain, Finish Radio, and National Public Radio. He is currently on the faculty of the Music Performance Program at Columbia University in New York.

Chamber music forms the core of Mr. Wilson’s work. He is a former member of the Shanghai and Chester Quartets, and the DaCapo Chamber Players. In 2004, he founded the Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia (CMSCVA) in Richmond and remains the group’s Artistic Director.