Lauded as performing “like a gladiator” and with a “phenomenal color palette” (Radda Rise), cellist Tyler Michael James stands out as an ebullient artist of his generation. His is currently the Associate Artistic Director of Red Door Chamber Music. He has performed with several ensembles including A Far Cry, Castle of Our Skins, and the Tristan Trio. He has had the honor of performing on series including the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, the Naumberg Concert Series, “Date Night” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lyrica Boston, Cherry Street Music, the Fermata Chamber Soloists, and the Bar Harbor Music Festival. He is regularly a guest artist of the Peabody Conservatory and New York University Composers’ Collective.  

Tyler premiered Benjamin Shbarber’s Concerto “The Wolf” with Orchestra Flex in 2021 and was a guest soloist with the New York University Percussion Ensemble’s performance of the Tan Dun Concerto for Cello and Percussion. A champion of new music, Tyler received the recording rights for “Loisaida, My Love” upon the composer Jessie Montgomery hearing his and Nina Casper’s performance of the work. This was recorded on the Monday Music Label.

He has been a guest principal cellist with several orchestras including the Handel Society, Middlebury Opera, the Kendall Square Orchestra, Wellesly Symphony, and was the sole cellist on the National Tour of Miss Saigon. He is currently head of development for the Dubois Orchestra.

Tyler is currently on faculty at the Boston String Academy, Project Step, and the Attacca School of Music. He has had the pleasure of teaching at festivals including the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Cello Workshop, Point Counterpoint, and Four Strings Academy.

Born in Virginia, Tyler did his initial studies at the Governor’s School for the Arts under the tutelage of Leslie Frittelli. Tyler received his Bachelor’s degree from New York University’s Steinhardt School on full scholarship under esteemed pedagogue Marion Feldman. Tyler was awarded a prestigious joint Master’s Degree and Artist Diploma with Terry King and Phoebe Carrai on full scholarship from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. He has had masterclasses with esteemed cellists including Alisa Weilerstein, Colin Carr, Fred Sherry and Hans Jorgen-Jensen. He has studied at festivals with several cello influences including Ko Iwasaki, Bonnie Hampton, Michal Schmidt. Tyler is currently a fully-funded M.B.A. Candidate at the College of William & Mary studying how to rethink classical music education for financially underprivileged students.