James studied for his undergraduate degree on the 'joint course' between the Royal Northern College of Music and the University of Manchester, and studied with the head of strings, Chris Hoyle. He graduated with a first from each institution in 2018. In 2020, he finished his MA in Historically Informed Performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, studying with David Watkin and John Butt. He researched performance practice relating to early atonal music by the Second Viennese School, as well as the way that audience behavior has changed over the last century.
James has a wealth of experience playing a wide variety of different types of music. He is a keen advocate of contemporary music and put on a concert in March 2018, called 'For Cello Alone', containing only world premières of works written by emerging composers. Whilst at the RNCM, he worked with a number of composers on their pieces, including Colin Matthews, Harrison Birtwistle and Anthony Gilbert, as well as many student composers. He was part of the first cohort of BCMG's NEXT programme between September 2018 and June 2019, which provides training for emerging performers of contemporary music and sees them working with members of the BCMG and established composers including Brian Ferneyhough and Rebecca Saunders.
His other specialism lies in Baroque music, which he prefers to perform on a period instrument. In particular, he specialises in continuo, and has played continuo in Bach's Johannes-passion, Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine and Rameau's Castor et Pollux, among others.
He also has a distinguished background of playing orchestral music to a very high standard, and has played with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra, as well as being selected as principal cellist for the RNCM's joint tour with the Conservatoire de Paris. He is also comfortable playing as a soloist, and has played a number of pieces with orchestra including Britten's Cello Symphony and Dvořák's cello concerto.
James has a wealth of experience playing a wide variety of different types of music. He is a keen advocate of contemporary music and put on a concert in March 2018, called 'For Cello Alone', containing only world premières of works written by emerging composers. Whilst at the RNCM, he worked with a number of composers on their pieces, including Colin Matthews, Harrison Birtwistle and Anthony Gilbert, as well as many student composers. He was part of the first cohort of BCMG's NEXT programme between September 2018 and June 2019, which provides training for emerging performers of contemporary music and sees them working with members of the BCMG and established composers including Brian Ferneyhough and Rebecca Saunders.
His other specialism lies in Baroque music, which he prefers to perform on a period instrument. In particular, he specialises in continuo, and has played continuo in Bach's Johannes-passion, Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine and Rameau's Castor et Pollux, among others.
He also has a distinguished background of playing orchestral music to a very high standard, and has played with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra, as well as being selected as principal cellist for the RNCM's joint tour with the Conservatoire de Paris. He is also comfortable playing as a soloist, and has played a number of pieces with orchestra including Britten's Cello Symphony and Dvořák's cello concerto.
"...was played with passion, panache, talent and sheer gusto by Heathcote."
Mark Dee on Britten's cello symphony, northwestend.co.uk, 11/3/17
"Here... the performances [were] perfectly pitched."
P.P.O Kane on Bach's St. John Passion, Jildy Sauce, 2/7/17
Mark Dee on Britten's cello symphony, northwestend.co.uk, 11/3/17
"Here... the performances [were] perfectly pitched."
P.P.O Kane on Bach's St. John Passion, Jildy Sauce, 2/7/17
Selected Repertoire
- Bach: Cello suites
- Brahms: Cello sonatas
- Britten: Cello suite No.1
- Britten: Cello symphony
- Divver, Edgar: Routine*
- Dvořák: Cello concerto in B minor
- Elgar: Cello concerto
- Finzi: Cello concerto
- Haydn: Cello concerti
- Janáček: Pohádka
- Johnston, Rory Wainwright: A refracted consciousness*
- Matthews, Colin: Five Duos for Cello and Piano
- Mendelssohn: Cello sonata No.2 in D
- Saunders, Rebecca: Solitude
- Schumann, Robert: Cello Concerto
- Skingle, Dominic: Tempest*
- Tchaikovsky: Rococo Variations
- Wallington, Robin: Claustrum*
- Xenakis: Kottos
- Zimmermann: Sonata for solo cello