About James Myers

James Myers is an accomplished singer, actor and voice teacher.  As a professional operatic baritone, James has sung with Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap Opera, Washington Concert Opera and internationally with the Mittelsaechsisches Theater (Middle Saxony Opera Theater) in Frieberg, Germany.  He most recently sang the role of Abimelech in Commonwealth Concert Opera's production of Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saens.  Prior to that, James sang the role of Count di Luna in Verdi's Il Trovatore with Commonwealth Concert Opera after having made his debut with the same opera company singing the role of Guglielmo in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte.  He has also sings regularly with Bel Cantanti Opera Company. On the concert stage, James has sung as a soloist with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra and with the professional choral group known as Choralis where he most recently sang the baritone solos from the Brahms Requiem.  

James sang in the world premiere of the new opera, "Grounded" with Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center by Tony award winning composer, Jeanine Tesori.  The opera, "Grounded", tells the story of a female fighter pilot in the United States Air Force who after becoming pregnant, is reassigned to the drone piloting program in a remote desert location outside Las Vegas.  James sang in the ensemble as an Air Force fighter pilot with Washington National Opera Chorus.  

James is a true helden baritone who has also begun exploring bass-baritone repertoire as well. He has taken early steps in preparing roles such as Wotan in Wagner's Die Walkure and Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca.  His operatic singing encompasses a wide variety of roles ranging from the title roles in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni to more dramatic Verdi baritone repertoire like the role of Macbeth and Iago in Otello. His concert and oratorio repertoire as a solo baritone include the Brahms Requiem, the Faure Requiem, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Bach's St. Matthew Passion, Carmina Burana, Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ and Handel's Messiah. 

Other roles in James' operatic repertoire include:  Escamillo in Carmen, Frank Marraunt in Street Scene by Kurt Weill, Basilio in The Barber of Seville, The Duke of Nottingham in Roberto Devereux by Donizetti, Ricardo in I Puritani by Bellini, Mephistopheles in Faust, Wolfram in Tannhauser, Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Sam in Trouble in Tahiti, Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief and many others.

In addition to his work as an operatic baritone, James is a professional actor.  He received formal acting training at both university and through the renowned Signature Theater in Arlington VA, just outside Washington D.C.  Mr. Myers was admitted into Signature Theater’s “Overtures” acting program as a winner of the Weissberg Fellowship grant.  James originated the role of Baltus Van Tassel in the world premiere production of the musical, "Ichabod, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" with the theatre group, Creative Cauldron. 

As a musical theatre actor, James has excelled at performing the classically composed dramatic and romantic musical theatre roles.  His wide ranging voice feels comfortable singing roles as high as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera and as low as the title role in Sweeney Todd.  James has excelled pefrorming many great musical theatre parts including:  Tommy Albright in Brigadoon, Javert in Les Miserables, Fred Graham in Kiss Me Kate, Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera, The Beast in Beauty and the Beast, Lancelot in Camelot, Carl Magnus in A Little Night Music  and many others.   

Past musical theatre performances for James include his portrayal of the Beast and Prince in Beauty and the Beast, the lead role of Tommy Albright in Brigadoon and South Carolina Senator, Edward Rutledge in the musical, 1776.  For James' performance in the production of 1776, Paul M. Bessel and Barbara Braswell of DC Metro Theater Arts write:

“James Myers as Edward Rutlege of South Carolina stops the show with the haunting, almost supernatural, “Molasses to Rum.”  With his deep, rich, defiant voice, stunning vocal range and impeccable vocal dynamics, Myers accuses the Northern colonies of hypocrisy by profiting from the slave trade.”

https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2016/02/06/1776-at-mclean-community-players/

For his role as Edward Rutledge in 1776, James was honored with a Best of 2016 musical theater performance award from DC Metro Theater Arts.

In the role of the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, theatre critic, Jeannette Mulherin for the Maryland Theatre Guide writes: 

"Belle...and the Beast (James Myers) are gifted singers who could not have been better cast in their roles."

https://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2019/07/20/beauty-and-the-beast-fairfax/

Also for the production of Beauty and Beast, Gina Dalfonzo for DC Metro Theater Arts writes: 

"Belle and James Myers as the Beast bring powerful voices and an appealing warmth and vulnerability to their roles."

https://mdtheatreguide.com/2019/07/theatre-review-beauty-and-the-beast-at-the-city-of-fairfax-theatre-company/

In addition to his work in musical theater, James has appeared numerous times on stage as an actor in plays and on film.  He played the lead role of Warren Ives in the Little Theater of Alexandria’s production of Ira Levin’s play: “Cantorial”.  For his work in this production Joe Adcock of ShowBizRadio writes:

“Myers, who has a beautiful voice, brings off a charming final moment when his preppy WASP starts singing liturgical Hebrew.”

http://washingtondc.showbizradio.com/2012/11/review-lta-cantorial/

Jordan Wright for the website, “Whisk and Quill”, writes that his performance as Warren Ives in Cantorial was, 

“played with moving intensity by James Myers”.

http://whiskandquill.com/cantorial-at-the-little-theatre-of-alexandria

As a result of his work in Cantorial, James was cast to play the American writer Max Halliday a few short months later in Little Theatre of Alexandria’s production of Dial M for Murder.  

For his work in Dial M for Murder, Jordan Wright of the Alexandria Times writes:  

"Actor James Myers, coming off his success in the fall's "Cantorial" at Little Theatre, gives a smooth performance as the American crime writer boyfriend, Max Halliday"

https://alextimes.com/2013/03/little-theatre-dials-m-for-marvelous-with-classic-whodunit/

As a voice teacher, James has maintained an active voice studio for many years.  He has served on the faculty at George Mason University’s Mason Community Arts Academy and as adjunct faculty to the voice department of the school of music at George Mason University.  His students have gone on to achieve great success performing professionally and gaining admittance and scholarship awards at top universities, conservatories and graduate programs.  He is a full member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) as well as the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) which has reciprocity with Actors Equity Association.  He is also currently eligible to join Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

In addition to working with accomplished professional singers and actors, James is thrilled to teach complete beginners as well as all skill levels and voice types.  As a voice teacher, James takes great pride in treating every singer with the utmost respect and he tailors the lessons to fit each singers' unique needs.  He and his students do work hard but James also strives to make the process supportive and enjoyable.  

James is available for both in person voice lessons and for "virtual voice lessons" over the video conferencing platform, Zoom.  If you are interested in taking voice lessons or hiring James as a singer or actor, please contact us through this website by clicking on the tab that says Contact.  Below are video samples of James' work which include a mixture of operatic singing, musical theatre singing, acting and teaching.  There are additional video and audio samples of his work  located on seperate pages of this website as well.  When James is not performing or teaching, he enjoys playing the piano, exercising, trying new restaurants, driving his mustang and exploring any place with mountains.  Thank you for visiting!