The countertenor James Laing studied at Uppingham School and was a choral scholar at Trinity College, Cambridge, furthering his studies at the Royal College of Music. He was selected by OPERA NOW as amongst ‘Who’s Hot’ for his performance as Nerone (Agrippina) at the London Handel Festival.
Engagements during the 2025/2026 season include Oberon A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Korea National Opera, Opera North and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; The Refugee Flight for State Opera of South Australia; the title role in Tamerlano for London Handel Festival; Cherubino Figaro Gets a Divorce for Royal Swedish Opera; and Jonathan Leshnoff’s The Sacrifice of Isaac for Nashville Symphony.
His operatic engagements have further included performances for the Royal Opera, London; Classical Opera; English National Opera; English Touring Opera; Garsington Opera; Glyndebourne Festival Opera; The Grange Festival; Grange Park Opera; Opera Holland Park; Opera North; Scottish Opera; Welsh National Opera; Wiener Staatsoper; Den Jyske Opera; the Opéra de Nice; Theater Aachen; the Göttingen Festival; Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden; the Icelandic Opera; and the Zurich Opera.
His repertoire has included Trinculo The Tempest, Apollo Death in Venice, Oberon A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Endimione La Calisto; Giuliano Eliogabalo, Nerillo L’Ormindo, The Refugee Flight, Raphael Tobias and the Angel, Orfeo Orfeo ed Euridice, Demetrio Berenice, Tolomeo Giulio Cesare, Tirinto Imeneo, Medoro Orlando, Armindo Partenope, Bertarido Rodelinda, Zephyrus Apollo and Hyacinthus, Ascanio Ascanio in Alba and Zelim La verita in cimento. Created roles include Peter Brødre (Daniel Bjarnason), Hamlet The Firework Maker’s Daughter (David Bruce), Coachman / Fox The Adventures of Pinocchio and Cake / Berghahn Itch (Jonathan Dove), Terry Marnie (Nico Muhly) and Cheshire Cat Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Will Todd).
