James Pratt
CONDUCTORAn award-winning conductor, James was recently appointed as the Music Director for Perth Symphonic Chorus. He has worked for 30 years as a professional performing artist both nationally and abroad.
In 2011 James was awarded the prestigious Brian Stacey Conducting Prize and, after winning the 2013 Toldrà Conducting Competition in Spain, James went on to work at Covent Garden in London, as an assistant conductor with the Royal Ballet. He has worked closely with Maestro Donato Renzetti as an assistant conductor for productions throughout Italy. James has studied contemporary music with Titus Engel in Berlin and conducted the premieres of several new works with the Zafraan Ensemble.
His recent and previous performances include Sibelius Symphony No 2, Stravinsky Dumbarton Oaks, Dvorak Mass in D Major, Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with Shaun Lee-Chen (Perth Philharmonic Orchestra), G.F. Handel Messiah, and the Bach Cantata Christ Lag in Todes Banden (Perth Baroque Orchestra). In 2023 James will conduct the premiere of Howard Goodall’s Easter Passion – Invictus.
An enthusiastic Arthur Sullivan scholar, James has previously conducted Iolanthe, The Gondoliers, The Sorcerer, Trial by Jury and The Pirates of Penzance with Dennis Olsen. James has also performed in The Mikado and The Pirates of Penzance for Opera Australia. A graduate of the Symphony Australia conductor development program, James is the first recipient of a Master’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Adelaide.