In profile: James Yoo

Arriving at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in 2003 on a Music Scholarship, James Yoo (OA2006) joined us when our Music Department was under the direction of the legendary Mrs Chris Belshaw. James quickly distinguished himself as an outstanding cellist and continued a long line of accomplished Old Andrean cellists who have gone on to careers in performance and teaching around the world.

After graduating in 2006, James studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the Musikhochschule in Cologne, and the University of Waikato, working with renowned musicians including Maria Kliegel, Susan Blake, Thomas Tsai, Pieter Wispelwey, Pinchas Zukerman and Truls Mørk.

Now based in Auckland, New Zealand, James is the Convenor of Classical Performance and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Auckland’s School of Music, where he teaches cello and chamber music. His students regularly contribute to New Zealand’s music scene, with several achieving competition success both locally and internationally.

James maintains an active performing career, appearing with orchestras across Australasia and Asia, and is a member of the Jade String Quartet, which records for Rattle Records.

In 2013, James returned to St Andrew’s Cathedral School to perform Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major at our annual Showcase concert. In 2025, he reprised the same work at Showcase, alongside fellow Old Andreans Yoshi Oshiro (OA2013), Mannaseh Oshiro (OA2011), Noah Oshiro (OA2018), Amelia Rutherford (OA2002) and Timothy Moore (OA2021) as well as senior students. All complete with period costume. 

Through his ensemble ‘Symphonia x Sinfonia’, which he co-directs with his wife Rosemary, James also facilitated a memorable musical exchange with St Andrew’s Cathedral School students in Term 3 this year — a collaboration that culminated in a joint concert celebrating creativity and cross-cultural musicianship.

You can watch the 2025 performance here: