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. He is a top prize winner at the Radda International String Competition and regularly performs as an international chamber musician and soloist for several series including “Date Night” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Fermata Chamber Solists, Red Door Chamber Music, Lyrica Boston, Analog by Choice, FPAC Harbor Harmonies, and Hornby Island Music Festival. He is currently assistant faculty at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Cello Workshop, and is a regular guest artist at the Peabody Conservatory and New York University.  

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. After winning the New York University Concerto Competition he performed the Elgar Concerto in Skirball Hall under Maestro Adam Glaser.

Tyler is a founding member of the Lyrica Boston String Trio and the Opus87 Piano Quartet. He has had the pleasure of concertizing with the Horzowski Trio, Castle of Our Skins, Peter Zazofsky, and Doris Stevenson. A champion of new music, Tyler received the recording rights for “Loisaida, My Love” upon the composer Jessie Montgomery heard 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 orchestras including the Handel Society, Middlebury Opera, the Dubois Orchestra, the Fermata Chamber Soloists, Kendall Square Orchestra, and was principal cellist of the National Tour of Miss Saigon.

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

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 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, and 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.