James Naumann is well adept as a pianist, organist, vocal coach, conductor, and musicologist. He is currently a staff pianist and recital coach at Manhattan School of Music.
He has collaborated with several notable singers, including Raehann Bryce-Davis (2018 George London Winner); Anthony Roth Costanzo (2022 Grammy Winner, 2020 Beverly Sills Award, 2020 Opera News Award); Jana McIntyre (2022 George London Winner, 2020 Met Opera Laffont Finalist); Erin Wagner (2024 Gerda Lissner Winner, 2021 Naumburg Winner); and Daniel Espinal (2024 Met Opera Laffont Winner).
He has played for vocal competitions and masterclasses with such renowned artists as Marilyn Horne, Martin Katz, Jeannette Sorrell, Lucy Shelton, Lauren Flanigan, Diana Soviero, June Anderson, Susan Anthony, and Timothy Noble.
He has coached numerous opera productions, including Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi; Gounod’s Faust; Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel; Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea; Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte and Die Zauberflöte; and Verdi’s La traviata. In addition, he has coached roles for productions of Beethoven’s Fidelio; Benjamin's Written on Skin; Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Albert Herring; Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess; Glass’s Akhnaten; Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice; Handel’s Giulio Cesare; Massenet’s Cendrillon; Puccini’s La Bohème; Rossini's La Cenerentola; Verdi’s Rigotello; and Weisman’s The Scarlet Ibis. His foreign language experience includes German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, and Czech.
In the classroom, James has taught courses as diverse as eighteenth-century music and the history of rock & roll. He has delivered award-winning, interdisciplinary papers ranging from the music of Robert Schumann to Paul Bowles and the works of Marcel Proust to Tennessee Williams.
In addition to degrees in piano and organ performance, he completed his Performance Studies certificate in collaborative piano at Manhattan School of Music and is a candidate for a PhD in musicology at The Ohio State University. His primary piano teachers include Lori Sims and Thomas Muraco.