Through his boundless approach to music making, his collaborations with a vast array of artists from many different walks of musical life, his innovative programming and captivating musicianship of the highest order, James McVinnie has carved out a unique career as an organist and keyboard player.

McVinnie is a key advocate for contemporary music and has had major concerto and solo works written for him by Sam Adams, David Chalmin, artist Martin Creed, Bryce Dessner, Hildur Guðnadóttir, David Lang, Tom Jenkinson/Squarepusher, Nico Muhly, Richard Reed Parry, Tristan Perich, Gabriella Smith amongst many others.

He directs the James McVinnie Ensemble, a collective of virtuoso keyboardists dedicated to exploring work often preoccupied with political themes by contemporary and emerging composers. The ensemble’s roots go back to 2017 with a performance at London’s Barbican Centre of Music in Twelve Parts by Philip Glass—the only performance in the piece’s history given by anyone other than the Philip Glass Ensemble.

Current highlights include Tristan Perich’s Infinity Gradient at MUTEK Montreal & London’s Barbican Centre, Philip Glass Dances at London’s Barbican Centre, Gabriella Smith’s organ concerto Breathing Forests with BBC Philharmonic, Bach recitals at Kilkenny Festival 2026 and Queen Elizabeth Hall, Poulenc’s Organ Concerto with 12 Ensemble/Naomi Woo, an artist residency at Norwich & Norfolk Festival, works by Bryce Dessner at Berlin Konzerthaus, James McVinnie’s Power Switch — a programme of new works commissioned by Los Angeles Philharmonic & touring with New Zealand Symphony Orchestra/André de Ridder in Nico Muhly’s organ concerto Register.

McVinnie is a member of Icelandic collective and record label Bedroom Community, on which he has released three albums: Cycles (2013, works by Nico Muhly), Cycles_1 (2016, a remix album) & Counterpoint (2021) which pairs music of J S Bach & Philip Glass. The Grid (2018) is a studio album of music by Philip Glass using organ samples on Orange Mountain Music. All Night Chroma featuring music by Tom Jenkinson/Squarepusher, recorded at the organ of the Royal Festival Hall in London was released on Warp Records in 2019. Dreamcatcher, an album of contemporary American music by composers closely associated with McVinnie, who plays both organ & piano & most recently, Bach’s Clavierübung III have been released on Pentatone.