James Beddoe hails from Southwell, Nottinghamshire, where he began his musical pursuits as a cathedral chorister. He is a graduate of Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he was supported by a Leverhulme Scholarship and by the Chisel Education Trust. 2022 roles included Nemorino/ Donizetti L’elisir d’amore (Scherzo Opera), Prince Ramiro in two productions of Rossini La Cenerentola (Barefoot Opera & Aylesbury Opera), Schoolmaster/ Janáček The Cunning Little Vixen (HGO), Lensky/Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin (Guildford Opera), Aeneas/ Purcell Dido & Aeneas (HGO). In 2023, James sang as the Evangelist in the St John Passion for the first time with London City Orchestra. He will also perform Britten’s Nocturne with Cardiff Chamber Orchestra, Rodolfo/ La bohème in London, and in a UK Tour of Cenerentola as Prince Ramiro with Barefoot Opera with a Grimeborn residency. He will also cover Timorous, Lord Lechery and Messenger in Vaughan Williams The Pilgrim’s Progress with British Youth Opera and Vittorio in the world premiere of Bottini’s Elena e Gerardo with Random Opera.
Recent oratorio solos: Rossini Messe Solenelle, Handel Joshua as ‘Joshua’, UK premiere of Lidarti Ester (HGO), Haydn Creation, and Handel Messiah at St John’s Smith Square. His current teacher is Benjamin Williamson.