James Risdon
James has had a life-long fascination with the recorder. His formal studies were with the late Alan Davis and subsequently with Rebecca Miles. He gained his LRSM with distinction in 2011 and in the same year was placed runner-up in the international competition for blind musicians at the Jan Dale Conservatoire in Prague.
Equally at home in early music, contemporary, folk and improvisation, he is an engaging and passionate advocate of the recorder and introducing its rich potential to new audiences. His solo album Echoes of Arcadia is typical of his eclectic tastes, plotting the recorder’s history from the pleasure garden to the mountain valley, ethereal to electronic. His 2023 recording with the Central England Camerata and Anthony Bradbury of the exquisite concerto by the late Andrew Downes, written for him, is available to hear on YouTube.
James has been a regular member of RNS Moves since 2019 including the 2026 collaboration with Candoco Dance Company. He has played in commissions by Joe Cutler, Kate Whitley and Heloise Werner and enjoys contributing to the ensemble’s collaborative spirit of arrangement and reimagining music from across musical boundaries.
James is a founder member of the British Paraorchestra, directed by Charles Hazlewood. Performances have included the closing of the 2012 Paralympic Games with Coldplay, and at the 2025 Proms alongside contemporary folk duo The Breath. James features in both Paraorchestra’s debut album ‘The Unfolding’ by Hannah Peel which topped the Classical Charts in April 2022 and Death Songbook with Brett Anderson of Suede, released in 2024.
As soloist, James has appeared with London Musici alongside recorder virtuoso Piers Adams, Devon baroque alongside renowned flautist Rachel Brown and the Czech Virtuosi.
He combines recorder playing with the role of Access Lead at ABRSM where he is responsible for ensuring fair access to ABRSM exams and new qualifications. He is an active voice for ABRSM on diversity and inclusion. James is a member of the steering group for Sound Without Sight and since 2019, has been honorary Chair of the Elizabeth Eagle Bott Memorial Fund.
In a past life, James represented Great Britain in the 1996 Paralympic Games in the sport of goalball and is a seven times national champion.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of RNS Moves. First and foremost, it’s just terrific fun to be part of an ensemble with such wonderful and friendly colleagues and work on music spanning the last five centuries.”
– James Risdon
James on RNS Moves
I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of RNS Moves. First and foremost, it’s just terrific fun to be part of an ensemble with such wonderful and friendly colleagues and work on music spanning the last five centuries.
I particularly enjoy the way we find links between pieces of music that are from completely different ends of the musical spectrum yet which share some common threads. The recorder is particularly well-suited to the variety of music we perform, from the Baroque to contemporary, improvisation and folk traditions. There is a genuinely collaborative spirit among the group so we each contribute ideas around repertoire, and how we arrange a piece for our unique line-up. Over the past few years, we’ve got to know each other quite well and I think we have each learnt from everyone else’s expertise and experience. That has allowed us, in turn, to establish quite an effective way of working and build up more of a sense of identity and purpose in what we do. It’s been really wonderful to see audiences’ first reaction to our concerts and even more wonderful to see them coming back in greater numbers each time we play.
As a blind musician, there are some obvious challenges for me, not least that I have to learn everything from memory. Some of the pieces we choose are definitely easier than others in this respect, and we often arrange pieces during rehearsals, so I’m often learning right up to the day of the concert. I also think carefully about which recorder I need for each section of a piece, depending whether I need to blend or be heard above the ensemble, so you’ll often see me switching instruments, sometimes quite quickly!
The other challenge for me is that I obviously cannot make eye contact with my fellow performers. Although we don’t have a conductor, there are often important visual clues and cues that keep the ensemble together, perhaps at the beginning or ending of a piece, or where the piece speeds up or slows down. Sometimes there are musical cues we can write into our arrangements, and sometimes it might just be a breath or tap on the shoulder from my neighbour. But just occasionally, there are instances where there is no obvious solution and I have to listen and put my trust in the magic of chamber music….
James on upcoming concerts
I’m thrilled to be returning to play with RNS Moves for our upcoming gigs in September. Wylam Brewery is a unique venue with a fantastic acoustic and I can’t wait to play there again. Last time, I missed out on the pre-concert chips so I definitely intend to put that right this time!
Our London debut at King’s Place was a very special moment for RNS Moves and it’s very exciting to be invited back to share our unique ensemble with a wider audience. As I live in London, I’m hoping to have some friends and family come to hear us.
