James Watson is a collaborative performing, recording, touring, and sessional artist armed with his violin, a bachelors of music (minor of linguistics) from the University of Calgary, and a ceaseless drive for music-making.
James is a founding member (and composer/arranger) of Music As Puppetry, Electronic Symphonia, and the Sunnyside Quartet/jazz combo. He is a full time member of internationally touring bands Cabrakaän and Deathlettuce. Festival performance highlights include appearances at the Calgary Folk Music Festival, Sled Island, and 70,000 Tons Of Metal in the caribbean.
As a sessional musician James has performed with international musicians, collaborated with Calgary and Edmonton’s poet laureates (Tiotlope Sonuga, Wakefield Brewster, Shone Thistle), and regularly performs and records sessionally for numerous artists. Including: Celogen, Deathlettuce, Weather Without, The Daniel Pelton Collective, Long Time No Time, and the Calgary Opera’s Opera 212 program. Additional freelance collaborations include contemporary classical, jazz, rap, EDM, pop, metal, bollywood, dance, and film music.
James is a seasoned orchestral and chamber player through his work as principal second violinist of the Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra, Electronic Symphonia, and the Key 30 Orchestra. In addition to his work with Orchestre de la Francophonie, Symphony of the Kootenays, Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Korean Orchestra, St. Giles Orchestra, University of Calgary Orchestra, and Numerous sessional event orchestras.
James is a two time 2024 YYC Music award recipient for Metal Recording of the Year with Cabrakaän and Ensemble Of The Year with Rocky Mountain Symphony Orchestra. Additionally he has earned the RMD Enterprise’s Musician of the Year Award 2023, and Top Music School with Leroux Music Studios 3 years running. He has presented his academic work at the University of Calgary Graduate Music Conference and the Rhythm Changes Jazz Conference in Amsterdam.
