JAMES NIGHTINGALE is a leading saxophonist in Sydney's classical and new music scenes. He has performed as a casual saxophonist with many of Australia's leading orchestras, including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the new music groups Ensemble Offspring and Aark, and in productions of Andre's Dreaming Transportation. He teaches saxophone at the Sydney Conservatorium and at Sydney Grammar School.He studied at the Sydney Conservatorium, where he has completed both a Bachelor of Music (Merit) and a Master of Music (performance) degrees. While studying he received the award for Student of the Year (B.Mus) in 1992 and performed the Glazunov Saxophone Concerto on tour with the Conservatorium Orchestra. James reached the NSW final of ABC Television's Quest '95, in which he performed a concertante work with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He also performed with the Senarius Saxophone Quartet on Quest 95, reaching the grand final.
James has recorded Clarion by Andrew Ford for his CD, Harbour, which also includes his playing on the Five Cabaret Songs, released on the Tall Poppies record label (TP 128). He has also recorded with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra and for the New Music Australia program on ABC Classic FM. James has performed as a casual player with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra since 1993. Recent performances include Opera Australia's 1999 productions of Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd and Richard Mills' opera The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. Other orchestral experiences include touring New Zealand with the Australian Youth Orchestra in 1993, performing at the Hun-tington Festival with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 1994 and with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the 1998 Adelaide Festival.