Voice (Musical Theatre)
James studied music (violin and voice) at Manchester University followed by postgraduate studies at Royal Academy of Music in London.
He currently teaches singing at The Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Arts Educational Schools, London. He was a vocal coach on the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody and the seasonal movie Last Christmas.
As an actor and singer, James has appeared in a number of West End Musicals and National Tours including Man of La Mancha, Sweeney Todd, The Woman in White, The Phantom of the Opera and Chess. He has sung on many radio broadcasts for BBC Radio 2 and is a regular soloist with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and London Concert Orchestra.
As a concert artist, he has soloed in many of the UK's greatest concert halls, including The Royal Festival Hall, The Royal Albert Hall, The Barbican, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Manchester's Bridgewater Hall and The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
As a session singer, he has sung for/with London Voices, Capital Voices, Synergy Vocals, Steve Sidwell, The National Theatre (London Southbank) and has provided backing vocals for TV and artists including The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent, Pop Idol, The Graham Norton Show, Russell Watson, Lesley Garrett, Sarah Brightman, Martine McCutheon, Joey Niceforo, Joy Division and Bring Me The Horizon He has sung on numerous Film/TV and game soundtracks including Kung Fu Panda 4, Disney's The Little Mermaid (2023), Onward, Aladdin (2019), Beauty and the Beast (2017 - on which he also supplied the Beast guide vocals for Dan Stevens), HBO's Galavant, The Wrath of The Titans, The Voyage of The Dawn Treader, Nine, The Phantom of the Opera, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Around the World in Eighty Days and the Killzone Trilogy. He has also supplied voices for Spamalot (online game) and James Villas.
As a composer and arranger, he has a love for Jazz and Big Band music. (self penned original Big Band EP "Do You Read Me"). He has arranged for The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Voices, The Robbie Sherman Songbook, The Royal Academy of Music, Katie Birtill's #No. 1 jazz album Baby Dream Your Dream. He currently writes for Synctracks, Brilliant Music, Cinephonix, Atomic Production Music, Thousand Mile Music.
He lives in London with his wife, son and daughter and little dog!
James joined the faculty at Royal Holloway University of London in October 2024.
James Spilling
