About us

James Murray is a well known musical consultant, writer, speaker and musicologist who founded and runs Kernow Classics, drawing on years of experience and expertise in the classical music field. Based in Cornwall, the Midlands and London, James' particular expertise and research interests in performance history and classical and vocal recordings have been drawn upon by those within the film and advertising industries, opera companies and major record labels. James is the label manager for Magdalen, a new archive label.

James lived and studied in Florence, Salzburg and London, where he sang with various companies, participating in many different British premieres. His musical tastes were fashioned at an early age by Gilbert and Sullivan (he was renowned at the tender age of 6 for his ability to recite whole G and S operettas!) and by the Furtwängler film of Don Giovanni which he saw whilst at primary school. His love of vocal music and opera continues to this day; privileged to see various legendary performances at sundry major European opera houses he was also fortunate to work at Glyndebourne, the source of many amusing backstage stories.

Having long wanted to relocate to Cornwall it finally took his son winning a Choral Scholarship to Truro Cathedral to force the family into moving to the Duchy. Charlie ended his choristership triumphantly as Head Chorister with an extremely successful Cathedral Choir tour to Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein in 2004. Having been back at the Cathedral as a Truro Cathedral Choral Scholar whilst doing his A Levels, he is now at York University, a member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, and a Choral Scholar at York Minster. Our daughter Morwenna was a leading light of the Cornwall Youth Theatre which opened the 'Darke Visions' Festival, an eighteen month festival celebrating the work of the Cornish playwright Nick Darke. Morwenna played Gonnieta (Antigone) in the revival of his Hell's Mouth to much acclaim. She was a founder member of the professional Hookline Theatre, and of Writing Squad Kernow.

We strive to ensure that Kernow Classics is the source of choice for classical music matters.