James McVinnie

James McVinnie Ensemble is a group of virtuoso keyboardists dedicated to exploring work often preoccupied with political themes by contemporary and emerging composers. The ensemble’s roots go back to 2017 with a performance at London’s Barbican Centre of Music in Twelve Parts by Philip Glass—the only performance in the piece’s history given by anyone other than the Philip Glass Ensemble. Since then the group has focused on the performance of Glass’s early period from the 1960s - 80s.

The group was launched in its current form in 2021 with two programmes: one, at London’s Bold Tendencies with a programme of works by Gabriella Smith, Graham Fitkin, Philip Glass & John Adams and two, at London’s Barbican Centre with Chris P Thompson’s True Stories & Rational Numbers & Philip Glass’s Glassworks. 2022 season featured performances of Julius Eastman Gay Guerrilla & Claude McKay’s 1922 collection of poetry Harlem Shadows in a collaboration with the London Review of Books at London’s Bold Tendencies. Subsequent performances have taken place at Saffron Hall (Glassworks) & London Southbank Centre (early Glass, inti figgis-vizueta, John Adams). New works by Gabriella Smith & inti figgis-vizueta are planned for the Ensemble in 2025 and beyond.