Introducing James Weeks

We are hugely excited to announce James Weeks as the Professional Conductor of Durham Univeristy Chamber Choir for 2026-27.

James joins DUCC alongside student Associate Conductor Louis Allen. Bringing a welath of experience, fresh insight and leadership, we hope that this will be the start of a hugely successful new era for the chamber choir.

James Weeks is a composer, conductor and artistic director, currently Associate Professor of Composition at Durham University.

James joins DUCC as our new professional conductor, working alonside student Associate Conductor Louis Allen. Bringing a welath of experience, fresh insight and leadership, we hope that this will be the start of a hugely successful new era for the chamber choir.

James' music has been performed and broadcast worldwide, including eight albums dedicated to his work, of which the most recent, Plain Air, was released on FirstHand Records in August 2026. His work typically explores pared-down musical materials, microtonality and Just Intonation, and notions of temporality, space, and plain-speaking. His most recent music has focused increasingly on a deeply embodied relationship with the natural world.

As a conductor he is particularly well-known for his work with voices, and in the spheres of early and contemporary music.

In 2002 James founded EXAUDI (www.exaudi.org.uk) with soprano Juliet Fraser, now regarded as one of the world’s leading vocal ensembles for new music. As well as maintaining a busy international touring and recording schedule with EXAUDI, he works regularly as a guest conductor, including ongoing relationships with Royal Northern Sinfonia and BBC Singers, and projects with Explore Ensemble, Talea, London Sinfonietta, musikFabrik and many others. He led New London Chamber Choir and Orlando Chamber Choir (London) from 2007 to 2011 and is in demand as a choral workshop leader across the UK.

We greatly look forward to the year ahead with James Weeks and are all hugely excited to work with such a celebrated and talented professional!