James Harr

A native of Chattanooga, TN, James holds a master’s degree in vocal performance from Washington University, in St. Louis. After receiving his degree, he joined their faculty to teach applied voice. While in St. Louis, he sang with the St. Louis Symphony for seven years as a principal singer. With that ensemble, he covered solos in Haydn’s The Seasons, Mozart’s Requiem, Berlioz’s Requiem, and Britten’s War Requiem. His solo debut with the St. Louis Symphony was singing in the sextet for the Berlioz Huit Scènes de Faust and as the 1st Prisoner in Beethoven’s Fidelio. In the fall of 2008, James returned to Memphis to begin doctoral studies at the University of Memphis. While there, he joined the music faculty, teaching applied voice at his alma mater, Rhodes College. Even with teaching and pursuing another degree, James continued performing. He sang with the Rhodes MasterSingers and the Memphis Symphony in Schubert’s Mass in G, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Israel in Egypt, and Bach’s B minor Mass. He has also appeared with the Memphis Masterworks Chorale singing tenor solos in Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor. In opera, James has performed roles in Tartuffe, The Crucible, Die Zauberflöte, Le nozze di Figaro, Lucia di Lammermoor, Falstaff, Eugene Onegin, Tosca, Carmen, Albert Herring, Handel’s Partenope, Hänsel und Gretel, and Die Lustige Witwe. In 2012, James made his Opera Memphis debut, singing the role of Dr. Blind in Die Fledermaus. Mr. Harr also served as vocal coach and director for the Jr. and Sr. Opera Conservatories with Opera Memphis. James recently moved back to Chattanooga where he is a member of the music faculty at McCallie School, assisting with the men’s vocal ensembles and teaching voice lessons. Upcoming engagements for James include singing with the Chattanooga Symphony (tenor solos in Handel’s Messiah) and the Chattanooga Bach Choir (tenor solos in Mozart’s C Minor Mass). James and his wife Sarah (organist at First Baptist Church) have a two-year old son named Oliver.