James Girling

James’ latest project was a collaboration with RPS Young Artist Lotte Betts-Dean (mezzo-soprano) alongside composer Arthur Keegan. In 2022, they premiered a unique programme for voice and guitar comprising Keegan’s compositions, his arrangements of songs by among others Britten, Finzi, Ivor Gurney, Imogen Holst, Ethel Florence Richardson, and a specially commissioned piece by Kerry Andrew: all of which set the poetry of Thomas Hardy. Central in the programme is Keegan's new song cycle, ‘Elegies For Emma’, setting Hardy’s Poems of 1912-13. Joined by Ligeti Quartet, they recorded an album of this music, The Past & I: 100 Years of Thomas Hardy, released in July 2024 on Delphian Records. Officially launched at St George's Bristol, the album's release tour followed through Hardy's South West England was accompanied by documentary filmmaker Mariana Lima Mateus. Entering the Official UK Charts at No.5 in Specialist Classical, the album was Presto Music's Record Of The Week, received a 4-star review in The Guardian/Observer, was featured in Gramophone and BBC Music Magazines, and has been played on BBC Radio 3 programmes including Song Of The Day, Record Review and Composer of the Week.

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In recent years, James has recorded and been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 with the BBC Philharmonic, performed at Open Circuit Festival and The Tung Auditorium with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s Ensemble 10:10, and headlined Bluedot Festival with the Hallé Orchestra. For Chester Music Festival, he performed in a tango quintet comprising internationally acclaimed soloists such as South African cellist Abel Selaocoe. Uniquely, he also performed as dep in the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet at Church Stretton Arts Festival.​ James’ classical chamber music performances across the UK have also encompassed Buxton International Festival, King’s Place for London Guitar Festival and Guitar In London series, Leeds International Concert Season, The Bridgewater Hall, Swaledale Festival, Fishguard & West Wales International Music Festival and Alwyn Music Festival. 

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The winner of the II International Chamber Music Competition for Flute & Guitar in Spain in 2023, James' Meraki Duo with flautist Meera Maharaj will record and release their debut album on Delphian Records 2025-26, having spent the past decade performing extensively. Meraki Duo were selected onto International Guitar Foundation’s Young Artist Platform for 2020. In 2019, they were finalists in the Royal Over-Seas League Competition (Mixed Ensembles) in London. Meraki Duo have been Live Music Now artists since 2018: through which they are trained to bring their performances into the wider community with interactive concerts in schools for children with special educational needs and disabilities, and in care homes. Additionally, they have given concerts at Wigmore Hall in partnership with the Wigmore Learning programme. In summer 2022, they recorded their first commissioned works, composed for them by Rafael Mariano Arcaro and Effy Efthymiou, both of which Meraki Duo premiered in London. From 2021 to 2022, Meraki Duo gave two collaborative tours: the first as a trio with Canadian double bassist Benjamin Du Toit; the second as a quartet with Norwegian soprano Susanna Solsrud and Scottish harpist Sophie Rocks, whose folk-inspired programme grew from Stravinsky’s ‘Four Songs’ for flute, voice, harp and guitar. With Spectrum Guitar Quartet, James recorded Edward Cowie’s work ‘Kandinsky’ in conjunction with the composer, released on Divine Art Recordings in September 2022. 

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Strongly influenced by music traditions rooted in improvisation, James is active in both Norway's and UK's jazz scenes. His duo with trumpeter Aaron performed Manchester Jazz Festival 2023 and tour Norway in 2025. He is a co-founder of the Afrobeat/Ethiojazz-inspired 12-piece Agbeko, whose music has garnered attention across the UK and in Europe. Agbeko have played main stages in the spectacular environments of Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains, Malta International Arts Festival, Paris’s Dauphine Jazz Festival, Austria’s Beserlpark Festival, Croatia’s Soundwave Festival and Milan’s Linecheck Festival. For WOMEX 2024 they performed as musical hometown ambassadors at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, upon their return from debut shows in Spain. Among previous highlights in the UK, Agbeko have opened Manchester Jazz Festival and featured across the festival scene from Green Man to The Great Escape. Their debut album, 'D.O.D’, was released in 2020, following 2018's 7″ single ‘Leaders Of The Free World’ on Stutter & Twitch Records. Sophomore album 'There Must Be Another Way' was released and toured in late 2023 to critical acclaim internationally: Songlines Magazine's review (Jan 2024) describes “the spectacular chemistry shared by this large band is electric and emotive." Their next album is released in 2025 with Bridge The Gap.

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James also tours the UK with Prohibition-era jazz septet The Easy Rollers. They cut their teeth performing stages including Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Lake District Summer Music Festival, Brecon Jazz Festival, Marsden Jazz Festival, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with the band's formative years' residencies at The Jazz Bar. The Easy Rollers’ 2024 album preview tour encompassed RNCM Concert Hall, Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room, Cedars Hall, Clonter Theatre, and jazz clubs Peggy's Skylight and Toulouse Lautrec. Meanwhile, James recorded for original soul, funk and disco The 7:45s’ 2025 album, and for singer/composer/violinist Claire Victoria Roberts’ album 'Inconsistent'. He has also toured with groups including Lieko Quintet, whose E.P. ‘Amethyst’ was released in 2019, and short-lived poets-fronted offshoot Beats On Book - featured at Love Supreme Jazz Festival. Elsewhere, highlights include supporting Marquis Hill 'Blacktet' and post-Bowie Donny McCaslin with Artephis, playing at Manchester International Festival with The 7:45s, and performing with the late saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis after being selected onto his residency through Brighter Sound. As a session musician, James has played 'African Sanctus' alongside Simone Rebello’s BackBeat Percussion Quartet, in the Côte d’Azur at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix and Château de Cassis, and on BBC series ‘Cold Feet’ and 'World On Fire'. 

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A keen arranger, James has written arrangements toured by Jacqui Dankworth - Craig Ogden and recorded by Lotte Betts-Dean - Dimitris Soukaras. Published by Astute Music in 2021-22, he produced arrangements commissioned by composer Andy Scott for flute and guitar of a set of Scott’s works. He also recently arranged for Aquarelle Guitar Quartet and Sara Dowling as part of their forthcoming album of Brazilian music on Chandos Records. James is arranger for Meraki Duo’s concert programmes. His orchestral arrangements have been performed and broadcast internationally, including by The Hallé & RTÉ Orchestra. 

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As guitarist in the RNCM Big Band throughout his conservatoire studies, James performed alongside eminent British jazz musicians including Tim Garland, Julian Joseph, Nikki Iles, Tina May, Laurence Cottle, Dave Hassell and Mark Nightingale, and European virtuosi Markus Stockhausen and Bart van Lier, and was broadcast live on Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’ programme. He played duets with Martin Taylor and Christian Garrick, and was the soloist in Fred Sturm’s electric guitar concerto ‘Steely Dan Suite’. In June 2019, James was invited to return as a guest soloist with the Big Band in Mike Hall’s final concert as its director.

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The contemporary jazz quintet James co-led, Artephis, were Jazz North ‘Northern Line’ and ‘Introduces’ artists 2015-20. In 2020, they released singles ‘Glow’, ‘Treading Water’ and 'Artephis with The Untold Orchestra', following their debut album 'All Change No Change' in 2017. Aired on BBC Radio 3 and on Radio 2 by Jamie Cullum, who called it a “brilliant new release that got my ears bouncing” and chose track 'Feroz' as a BBC Introducing highlight of the year, the album was awarded the Sir John Manduell Prize. Artephis performed at the major jazz festivals across northern England, as well as Kendal Calling, The Cavern Club and for TEDx. As composer, James also wrote for the filmed collaboration between Artephis and The Untold Orchestra, who in 2018 appeared together in a full-length original concert - all scored by the composers James and trumpeter Aaron Wood - at Brecon Jazz Festival. 

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An experienced educator, James has adjudicated competitions, given masterclasses and workshops across Britain including at The Glasshouse, The University of Liverpool, Charterhouse School and Dulwich College.