Zachary James

Zachary James is an international opera singer and recording artist, Broadway and television actor, 2022 Grammy Award winner, BroadwayWorld Vocalist of the Decade, Classical Post’s Most Innovative Artist, Verismo Magazine’s Breakout Artist of the Year, and among Opera Wire’s 30 Most Influential LGBTQ+ Artists.

James’ 2025-26 season includes a number of returns to familiar repertoire, as well as some exciting new projects of contemporary works. The fall of 2025 brought a house debut for James at the Liceu Opera House as Amenhotep in Philip Glass’ Akhnaten, a role also performed a few months later with Los Angeles Opera, and then again in the summer with the Stichting Omroep Muziek in the Netherlands. He debuts at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2026, performing the role of Cholly in a concert performance of safronia, a world premiere musical work from Chicago’s first-ever poet laureate, the celebrated interdisciplinary artist avery r. young. Finally, he performs at the Pride in Progress concert with GENVAS in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Also a prolific and lauded musical theater performer, James debuted the role of Hades in the musical Hadestown in February 2024 at that show’s West End opening in London to critical and audience acclaim, an engagement that continued through the end of the year. More recently, the artist participated in high-profile and artistically applauded projects such as Caiaphas in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic alongside Cynthia Erivo in the title role, followed by Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Prince Edward Theatre in London’s West End.

Other recent performances of note for James include the Immigration Officer in Flight with Dallas Opera, the title role in Sweeney Todd with Opera Omaha, The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance with Cincinnati Opera, Lucius/Witch in the world premiere of Paola Prestini’s Edward Tulane with Minnesota Opera, and Sciarrone in Tosca with Los Angeles Opera.

James created the role of Abraham Lincoln in the world premiere of Glass’ opera The Perfect American at the Royal Theatre in Madrid (a role he reprised for London’s English National Opera and Australia’s Opera Queensland), Oberon in the world premiere of Kristin Hevner’s Il Sogno at the Città della Pieve Theater in the Italian region Umbria, and the role of Terry in the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli's Breaking the Waves at Opera Philadelphia. A winner of the Lotte Lenya Competition, Hanes has also been engaged by many renowned U.S. opera companies.

James’s orchestral concert engagements include performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, New York Philharmonic, New York City Ballet, Symphony of the Mountains, MasterVoices New York City, Southern New Jersey and Cape Cod symphonies, and American and Knoxville symphony orchestras. He has also performed cabaret acts at Carnegie Hall, Birdland, Don’t Tell Mama, Medicine Show, Joe’s Pub, Gorilla Tango, Noce Jazz Club and dozens of other venues around the United States. 

His visual album debut, Call Out, has received accolades at 27 film festivals worldwide and was highly commended by London’s Classical Music Digital Awards. The groundbreaking work, featuring all female composers from the classical music industry, has been widely praised. His solo show, On Broadway, has played around the U.S. and was released as an album in 2021 on all streaming platforms.

As a stage actor, James originated in three Broadway shows including creating the role of Lurch in the Original Broadway Cast of The Addams Family, Thomas Hassinger in the Tony Award-winning Original Broadway Revival Cast of South Pacific at Lincoln Center, and made his Broadway debut in the 2007 National Theatre of London Broadway transfer, Coram Boy. James played off Broadway as Pasquale in The Most Happy Fella and Jo-Jo in Irma la Douce, both with encores, at New York City Center. On screen, James has appeared on HBO’s Succession, on the sitcoms 30 Rock and Murphy Brown, on the 2010 Tony Awards live from Radio City Music Hall, PBS Great Performances, Live from Lincoln Center, the Late Show with David Letterman, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and more.