James Munro

Born in Australia, James Munro studied double bass at the Conservatoire of Sydney, completing his Bachelor of Music degree with the highest distinction, cum laude. Passionate about early music and eager to broaden his musical experience, he then pursued studies in the Netherlands at the Conservatoire Royal de La Haye, where he specialized in baroque double bass and violone, obtaining his diploma in 1992.

He subsequently performed as principal double bass with numerous renowned early music ensembles and regularly collaborates with several eminent international orchestras, including La Petite Bande (Sigiswald Kuijken), Anima Eterna (Jos van Immerseel), the Collegium Vocale of Ghent and the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées (Philippe Herreweghe), Les Musiciens du Louvre (Marc Minkowski), The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Bach Collegium Japan (Masaaki Suzuki), and the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. With these ensembles, he has participated in numerous recordings and performed in the world’s major concert halls.

A member of the Freiburger Barockorchester, James Munro continues to explore the different roles of the double bass and violone, as chamber and continuo instruments as well as solo instruments. He also performs with chamber ensembles such as Le Poème Harmonique (Vincent Dumestre), The European Brandenburg Ensemble (Trevor Pinnock), and with violinist Isabelle Faust.

With the ensemble Ausonia, of which he is a founding member along with Mira Glodeanu and Frédérick Haas, he performs at major festivals across Europe, participates in numerous radio broadcasts, and has contributed to several highly acclaimed recordings. James Munro regularly teaches masterclasses in both double bass and violone in the Netherlands, Belgium, Romania, and France.