About James

James Button was appointed Associate Principal Oboe of the San Francisco Symphony in September 2017. A native of Australia, he made his solo debut with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the age of seventeen.

Mr. Button studied at Temple University and the Juilliard School, where his principal teachers included Jonathan Blumenfeld and Eugene Izotov. He has also studied with John Mack, John de Lancie, and Joseph Turner.

Prior to joining the San Francisco Symphony, Mr. Button was a member of the Nashville Symphony, the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, and the New World Symphony. He has appeared as Guest Principal Oboe with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic.

An active performer both nationally and internationally, Mr. Button has appeared at the Verbier, Edinburgh, and Tanglewood Music Festivals, as well as Italy’s Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. His live recording of Jennifer Higdon’s Oboe Concerto with the Nashville Symphony received a Grammy Award in 2018.

In addition to his orchestral career, Mr. Button has enjoyed a diverse freelance career, including recording projects with Björk and Willie Nelson, performances on Broadway in Fiddler on the Roof, and guest principal appearances with his hometown orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Button is a Marigaux artist and performs on a 920A model oboe.