James Morley

Hailed as “Australia’s most exciting young cellist” by Limelight magazine, James Morley works largely as a soloist and chamber musician, and frequently extends into experimental improvisation, electronics and post-instrumental performance.

Originally from Adelaide/Tandanya, James is currently studying a Performance Masters under Nicolas Altstaedt at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin. He recently completed a Masters of Contemporary Music Performance followed by post-graduate studies with Thomas Demenga & Imke Frank at the Musik-Akademie Basel, following studies with Howard Penny at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) and Julian Smiles at Sydney Conservatorium.

A Young Classical Artist Trust Artist since 2024, recent highlights include recitals across a variety of UK festivals, Sydney Opera House, UKARIA, and touring Australia with Musica Viva. 2025/26 sees a busy period worldwide for James with recitals at Wigmore Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus and more, as well as a concerto engagement with Canberra Symphony Orchestra, performing as guest principal cellist with both Gürzenich Orchester Cologne and Australian Chamber Orchestra Collective, playing chamber music at Heidelburger Frühling and Volta Kammermusikfest, and residencies as Helen + James at UKARIA and as soloist at Harvard University.

James is a specialist in contemporary music performance, and has had the pleasure of closely collaborating with many composers and performers; he has premiered solo works by Liza Lim (‘Cello Playing ~ as Meteorology), Elnaz Seyedi, Josephine Macken, Ivan Liuzzo, Isaac Roth Blumfield, Jane Sheldon, Fergus Hall, ensemble works by Bernhard Lang, Stefan Prins, Elnaz Seyedi, Lucia Kilger, Clemens Thomas, Bree van Reyk, and orchestral works by Thomas Adès. He has collaborated with the likes of Simon Steen-Andersen, Sylvain Cambreling, Stefan Prins and Håkon Stene. Endlessly fascinated in experimental improvisation, James released a record (postauto) in 2024 as Helen + James with bassist/vocalist Helen Svoboda, and is currently collaborating with composer/visual artist Kate Milligan to create a documentary film exploring environmental resonances within their home regions of Australia.

He has performed at Lucerne Festival, Sydney Festival, Adelaide Festival, Frau Musica Nova Köln, Spreehalle Berlin, Melbourne Recital Centre, Tzlil Meudcan Tel Aviv, Festival Musica Strasbourg, Vapore D’Estate Milan, Festival dei Due Mondi Spoleto, Harvard Group for New Music, Bendigo Festival, Harrogate Festival, Lichfield Festival, Cambridge Summer Music, Phoenix Central Park, Volta Kammermusikfest, Play On, and more.

He has won multiple competitions and prizes internationally, including the John Cage Award 2024 as duo with pianist Dmitry Batalov, numerous awards at ANAM including Audience Choice award in the Concerto Competition final, performed with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival Oleg Kogan Chamber Prize Finland 2018, and as finalist in the Freedman Fellowship 2020.

James plays the 'Ex-Robert Barrett' cello made in 2004 by Rainer Beilharz, kindly on loan from Professor Mitra Guha, in memory of her late husband.