“James Strauss is hands down the best flutist I have ever had the pleasure of working with.  He is certainly one of the best flute players in the world, with an unbelievable sense of musicianship, impeccable intonation, and the purest tone quality you could ever hope for.  He is a true, true master of his craft.
Maestro Jeffrey Dokken – Rome Symphony Orchestra

The Lang Lang of the Flute
Arizona Daily Starr

Brazilian flutist James Strauss has made a remarkable impact on the classical music scene, emerging as a leading solo artist and advocate for both the concerto repertoire and chamber music. His combination of exceptional technical prowess and deep emotional sensitivity has garnered him widespread acclaim, including being dubbed “The Lang Lang of the flute” by the Arizona Daily Star and praised by the legendary Jean-Pierre Rampal as “an authentic Latin representative of the French School of Flute.”

Strauss’s performances are celebrated for their erudition and communicative artistry, showcasing his ability to blend sweetness, elegance, and dramatic intimacy with an honest and sincere skill to properly conceptualize a work. His repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary masters, in addition to endeavors in Brazilian and South American folk music, reflecting the many facets of his abilities in solo, chamber, or concerto performances.

James Strauss is the first Brazilian flutist to ever be conceded a Diplôme de Concertiste by the École Normale de Musique de Paris. He was one of the very few last disciples of Jean-Pierre Rampal. Strauss was laureate with a scholarship by the French government for the Conservatoire de Paris and for the École Normale de Musique Alfred Cortot de Paris, where he studied with Pierre-Yves Artaud, Alain Marion, Geneviève Martigny, Maurice Pruvot, László Hadadi, Bernard Andrés, and later attended masterclasses with Mstislav Rostropovich, Ransom Wilson, Michel Moragues, Michel Debost, and Sir James Galway.

Strauss has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades, including:

• UFAM – Concours International de Musique de Chambre: 1st Prize
• UFAM – Concours International de Flute: 1st Prize (France)
• Concours International de la Ville de Lempdes: Best interpretation of contemporary piece (France)
• Concours du jeune Flutiste: 2nd prize – Morangis (France)
• Premio Carlos Gomes: Brazil
• Huesped Ilustre de la Ciudad de Guayaquil: Ecuador
• Laureate of the Carl Nielsen Foundation

Strauss has a special interest in new music and unconventional repertoire, leading many composers to dedicate works to him. He has premiered works by Philip Glass, Alexander Arutiunian, Nicole Randall, Solfa Carlile, Sean Hickey, Glenn Roger Davis, Ricardo Tacuchian, Philip Czaplowski, Dimitri Cervo, Julio Medaglia, Charles Chaynes, Jean Françaix, Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson, Ezequiel Diz, Beethoven Cunha, and many others. He gave the modern première on the piccolo of the fourth piccolo concerto by Antonio Vivaldi, discovered by the French musicologist Jean Cassignol.

As an influential figure in music, Strauss is also a Peace Ambassador for the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), joining the ranks of renowned personalities such as Plácido Domingo, Daniel Barenboim, and Gustavo Dudamel. His humanistic efforts extend to his voluntary work with young musicians in Venezuela during the country’s worst humanitarian crisis. Through El Sistema de Orquestas, Strauss helped many Venezuelan youths escape vulnerable situations by using music as a means to improve their lives. Many of these young musicians have since relocated to Europe, America, and Brazil.

Regularly featured in international press and media, Strauss has appeared on NPR’s Performance Today, Bowed Radio, WGUC FM, RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONAL, and Radio Classique, and he hosted and performed on the Brazilian musical TV show “Musicas que Elevam” on REDE MUNDIAL. His discovery and reconstruction of Tchaikovsky’s Concertstück for flute were published by Falls House Press/Theodore Presser Company.

Strauss has performed as a guest soloist with numerous prestigious orchestras worldwide, including Capriccioso Chamber Ensemble (Finland), Orchestre de Chambre de Paris (France), Israeli Virtuosi (Israel), Orchestre Philharmonic de Sibiu (Romania), Oxford Chamber Orchestra (UK), Tokyo Chamber Orchestra (Japan), Orquestra Sinfônica do Recife (Brazil), and many others.

Renowned for his inspiring teaching, Strauss has led master classes and performed recitals at institutions such as Miami University (USA), Iceland Academy of Arts (Iceland), École Normale de Musique de Paris (France), Festival Eleazar de Carvalho Fortaleza (Brazil), Londrina Music Festival (Brazil), and Venezuela Simon Bolivar Conservatory.

Critics have lauded his performances, noting his “astonishing tone color, beautifully rich and thick sound, and shimmering brilliance.” An active recording artist for Universal Music Group, Strauss has 25 CDs to his name, collaborating with ensembles like the Israeli Virtuosi, Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Venezuela, and Camerata Simon Bolivar.

Based in Vienna, Strauss teaches at the Wiener Musik Akademie and Centro Superior de Música de Galicia, continuing his multifaceted career as a leading soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, and educator.