About Lara

Biography

Dr Lara James is a baroque violinist who has performed with world renowned orchestras such as The Academy of Ancient Music, The English Concert, and The Hanover Band. For several years, she was a member of the Haydn Lute Trio, and gave chamber music recitals of Classical and Baroque repertoire at music societies and universities around the UK.

She has played for numerous live transmissions on radio and television across the world, as well as recorded a number of CDs. As a soloist and chamber musician Lara made her live radio debut in 2005 on BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune” performing violin sonatas by Bach and Corelli. More recently she has performed Vivaldi’s Spring with the South Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra and Mozart’s Violin Concerto no.1, with the Glossop Choral Society Chamber Orchestra.

Education

Lara gained a double First-Class BA Hons in German and Music, and a PhD from the University of Bristol before completing a postgraduate course in Early Music performance at The Royal Conservatory, The Hague. Further formative training took place as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands (under Philippe Herreweghe), and with the European Union Baroque Orchestra under Roy Goodman and Paul Goodwin.

Pre-university, Lara attended the Junior Department of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for four years, alongside her local comprehensive school in Essex. At the GSMD she was a joint first-study student on violin and piano gaining her ALCM diploma on the piano at the age of 17.