James Blanchard is the Principal Flutist of the Opera San Jose orchestra. He is the former principal flutist of the Des Moines Symphony from 2019 to 2022, and has performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Symphony San Jose, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Des Moines Metro Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Memphis Symphony Orchestra. 

A founding member of two award-winning woodwind quintets, James received Bronze Medals at the 2016 and 2018 Fischoff International Chamber Music Competitions. As a soloist, James has won prizes in the New York Flute Club’s young artist competition, the Texas Music Festival young artist competition, and was a prize winner in the 2019 Keston MAX competition.

James studied at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Robert Langevin, and at Rice University as a student of Leone Buyse.

James lives in San Jose, California with his husband Christopher James Ray. In his spare time, James enjoys the mysteries of bread-making, reading fiction, playing board games, and occasionally going to the gym.