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Tenor James Walters is a favorite of West Coast stages, recently making his Musical Theatre debut in the leading role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables with Tacoma Musical Playhouse to rave reviews from the public and critics alike. Tacoma Weekly declared "The talented cast was superb in their opening performance led by James Walters as Jean Valjean [giving] a magnificent performance... The show is long, but the audience showed with a standing ovation that it was worth every moment." and The Suburban Times added, "James Walters is Jean Valjean. Walters has a very good singing voice, the quality of which is easy to hear and understand... when he sings the fervent prayer, "Bring Him Home," he excels in his part." While Northwest Military found that, "James Walters and John Cooper (Javert) were excellent foils to each other and with John Kelleher (Thenardier) were the strongest male actors.", and the Puyallup Post concluded "My heart succumbed to the memorable voice of [James Walters] as he sang his final song". 

James returned twice more to Tacoma Musical Playhouse this season, in May as the tenor soloist in a Night at the Operetta, and as the Monster and Victor Frankenstein in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein the Musical in July and August. Of his performance in Young Frankenstein the News Tribune wrote "Later still, Walters, an accomplished operatic tenor, belts out the reprise of “Deep Love” with even more passion." and the Suburban Times declared "Each cast member had honed their character perfectly... James Walters doubles as Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein and the Monster. His singing voice is nothing short of superb – as Victor – as the Monster, his comic timing changes the beauty of his voice to the perfect characterization of the created man." and finally Northwest Military said "James Walters is well-cast as the Monster , with a gorgeous operatic tenor". 

Recent opera credits include singing Tonio in previews of La Fille du Regiment for Seattle Opera Guild, and both Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville, and Tamino in The Magic Flute with Northwest Opera in Schools Etcetera's outreach tours. Of his performances of Elvino in Bellini's La Sonnambula, Bernard Jacobson of MusicWeb International wrote "The most elegant of the soloists was tenor James Walters, who brought agreeably light tone and a nice sense of line to the central role of Elvino." Other roles include Tonio in La Fille du Regiment, Alfred in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, and Basilio & Curzio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with Kitsap Opera, The Lover in Menotti’s Amelia Goes to the Ball with Puget Sound Opera, Agenore in Mozart’s Il Re Pastore with Off-Center Opera, Don Octave in P.D.Q. Bach’s The Stoned Guest with Tacoma Opera, Don Basilio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Remendado in Bizet’s Carmen with Opera Pacifica, a tour with N.O.I.S.E. as Hoffmann in Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, appearances with Bellevue Opera in Verdi’s La Traviata, and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, and this June made his debut as a festival artist of the Astoria Music Festival performing Brighella in Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, and Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte. 

James also performs frequently in concert and recital. This April he returned to the Olympia Chamber Orchestra where he sang his first Uriel in Haydn's Creation. He has been heard several times in Astoria Oregon’s Clatsop College’s Arts & Ideas concert series performing opera arias and ensembles; including Bill in Barber’s short opera A Hand of Bridge. Other concert performances include L'abate di Chazeuil in Adriana Lecouvreur with Puget Sound Concert Opera, Camille in Lehar’s The Merry Widow with Willamette Concert Opera, the Tenor Soloist in Bach’s Coffee Cantata with Olympia Chamber Orchestra, several performances as the Tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah, and many other concerts and recitals with various local organizations including: the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle, Skagit Opera, Bellevue Opera, Olympia Symphony, Kitsap Opera, Puget Sound Opera, Puget Sound Concert Opera, Vocal Arts Northwest, Seattle Civic Opera Association, and the Seattle Musical Arts Society who awarded James with a Helen Crowe Snelling Scholarship from their vocal competition in 2004. In December 2012 James participated in the Magda Oliverio vocal competition at the Scuola di Alto Perfezionamento Musicale in Saluzzo, Italy, and was advanced to the semi-finals.

Find James online at www.facebook.com/JamesWaltersTenor


I primarily self identify as a Bassist who doubles on Guitars and Keyboards. I sing though I often have trouble placing much credence on my vocal abilities. My main influences are Progressive Rock artists such as Eddie Jobson, Tony Banks, Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Alan Holdsworth, Terry Bozio, Frank Zappa, and a host of others.

I have a fairly well equipped studio in my home taking up almost all of my basement. 

Keyboards include a Fender Rhodes, WLM organ, Kawai electric piano, Doric combo organ, Yamaha PSRE-413, and two midi controllers which run VST's on a laptop.

Basses consist of a 1979 Rickenbacker 4001 and a custom Warmoth

Guitars include a PRS Custom 24 and several custom Warmoth guitars.

Recording gear is primarily a MOTU 24i/o fed by a 16 channel Mackie Onyx as well as a 24 channel Neotek console. Outboard mic pre's include a Chameleon 7602 (Neve clone) and three RCA BA-1A's. A wide variety of mics from pure to highly colored.

Jerod Nace is following