Matthew James, bass-baritone, is a Professor of Music, and has previously served as Associate Dean of the School of Visual and Performing Arts and as General Director
of the Louisiana Lyric Opera. Prior to arriving at ULM Dr. James was Chair of the
Department of Music at Walla Walla University from 2002-2008. Previously Dr. James
held positions at Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD and at Southern Adventist
University in Chattanooga, TN, where he taught voice and directed musical theatre
productions. Dr. James completed his graduate work at the University of Missouri-Kansas
City and subsequently was an apprentice at the Des Moines Metro Opera and an Artist
Fellow with the Bach Aria Festival at Stony Brook, NY. He sang professionally for
two years with the National Opera Company of Raleigh, NC, performing major roles in The Barber of Seville, The Merry Wives of Windsor, L'Italiana in Algeri, La Bohème, Martha, and El Capitan. Dr. James subsequently appeared in the title role in Don Giovanni with the Rome Festival and in productions of The Magic Flute and The Barber of Seville with Operafestival di Roma where he also served on the teaching staff.