James Munro
Tutti Viola
James joined WASO in 2024.
James arrived at WASO from Mexico, where he worked with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco (OFJ) and the Orquesta Sinfónica Sinaloa de las Artes (OSSLA). He began musical studies on the violin and piano from a young age, studying with Alex Todicescu, and with the guidance of his grandmother, Jean Munro, who was Principal Viola of the Adelaide Symphony.
During high school, James joined the SBS Youth Orchestra and toured to Russia, Japan and Spain, which inspired a passion for orchestral playing and travel. At the Sydney Conservatorium, James studied viola with Roger Benedict. In 2005, he broadcasted the world premiere of the Douglas Lilburn Suite for Solo Viola on ABC Classic’s Rising Stars program.
James was a full scholarship holder at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in Melbourne, studying with Monica Curro and Fiona Sargeant, and regularly took master classes with Brett Dean. James took part in several seasons with the Australian Youth Orchestra and toured with them to Europe in 2007. He performed in the acclaimed ANAM production of Wunderschön with Meow Meow at the Perth International Arts Festival in 2010.
Whilst living in Melbourne, he was on contract with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and a casual musician with Orchestra Victoria. James has toured several times with Opera Australia’s Oz Opera, in productions of La Traviata and Don Giovanni.
James moved to Mexico to work with the Orquesta Sinfónica Sinaloa de las Artes in 2012. With the OSSLA he performed concerts throughout the state of Sinaloa in the cities of Culiacán, Mazatlán, Los Mochis, Guasave and Guamúchil. During 2015, James was invited to play with the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco where he was a member until 2024.
He toured internationally with the OFJ to South Korea, Germany, Austria and the USA, and within Mexico at the Festival Internacional de Cervantino in Guanajuato, the Morelia International Music Festival, the Encuentro Internacional de Mariachi y la Charrería in Guadalajara. In 2019, he performed alongside William Barton and Jalisco Filarmónica Ensemble at the Festival Cultural de Mayo in Jalisco.
James has coordinated and performed chamber music concerts and solo recitals of Australian composers for the Australian Embassy in Mexico in Mexico City, Monterrey and Panama, where he has been a regular guest artist at the Festival Alfredo de Saint Malo.
In 2022, James produced and performed in a collection of musical videos for the Australian Embassy to celebrate the bicentenary of independence in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, and featured composers and musicians from these countries and Australia.
James' chair is supported by Roger Jennings through the Duet program.