Lauded by The New York Times for his “admirable purity of tone and accuracy,” James has appeared as soloist with the Boston Symphony, Royal Philharmonic of London, Wallonie Royal Chamber, and Juilliard Orchestras working with conductors such as David Zinman, Michael Sanderling, Alexander Shelley, Keith Lockhart, Frank Braley, Tan Dun, Julian Kovatchev, and Benjamin Zander onstage at Carnegie Stern Auditorium and Zankel Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, and Metropolitan Museum of Art. James has given solo recitals at Carnegie Weill Hall, Seoul Arts Center IBK Hall, Midday Masterpieces Series at the Greene Space, Robert Sherman’s McGraw Hill Young Artist Showcase, Bruce Adolphe’s Garden City Chamber Music Society, Beautiful Thursday Series at Kumho Art Hall, The Class + Series at Shinyoung Chamber Hall, ‘James Kim with Friends’ at Music Space Camerata Paju, and the Tuesday Series at Seoul National University. His performances have been broadcasted on radio stations NPR, WQXR, and KBS. His Carnegie Weill Hall debut in 2013 garnered a rave review from Harris Goldsmith of New York Concert Review.
In his native Korea, James has performed concerti with Daegu, Korean, Gwacheon, and S.O.N.G. Symphonies; Incheon, Daejeon, Goyang, and Wonju Philharmonics; and TIMF and KBS orchestras, engagements which have brought him to Seoul Arts Center, Tongyeong Concert Hall, Daegu Concert House, and Lotte Concert Hall, where he is the first soloist in the hall’s history. A champion of music by Shinuh Lee, James premiered her Cello Concerto in 2021 and released an album of her works dedicated to him, Death and Offering, through Sony Classical in the same year. He is represented in Korea by Music & Art Company.
In 2025, James joined pianist Liza Stepanova and violinist Itamar Zorman as cellist of the Lysander Piano Trio. Other collaborations include Ensemble DITTO and Sejong Soloists, with whom he has toured performing J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations arranged for string trio (D. Sitkovetsky). He also served as guest principal cellist of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in 2022. He has performed at Bard, Highlands-Cashiers, Vale Veneto Winter, and Incheon Hic et Nunc Music Festivals.
James currently serves as Assistant Professor of Cello at University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Under his tutelage, Kim’s private students have won top prizes at major international cello competitions, including the Geneva, Isang Yun, Georges Enescu, Schoenfeld, and David Popper. He has given masterclasses and lectures at Manhattan School of Music, University of New Mexico, and Seoul National University’s College of Music. His co-edition of Pietro Locatelli’s Sonata in D Major published by International Music Company provides his technical guidance in its preface.
James is a recipient of the 2012 Salon de Virtuosi’s Sony Career Grant and a top prizewinner of the 2006 David Popper, 2015 Isang Yun, and 2024 Naumburg International Cello Competitions. From 2016 to 2021, he performed on a Matteo Goffriller cello from Venice ca. 1715, generously loaned by Samsung Cultural Foundation and Stradivari Society® of Chicago, Illinois. He holds an Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, where he served as Teaching Assistant to Joel Krosnick, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Manhattan School of Music. He is a pupil of Susan Moses, János Starker, Laurence Lesser, Aldo Parisot, Joel Krosnick, and Philippe Muller. He also participated in masterclasses with Jian Wang, Yo-Yo Ma, David Geringas, Frans Helmerson, and Miklós Perényi.
