JAMES MANSON
Board Member, Musicians’ Committee
James is one of Orchestra Toronto's co-principal oboists and has been a principal member of the orchestra's woodwind section since 2011. Originally from Winnipeg, James graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Music in Classical Performance, studying under Douglas Bairstow, then-Principal Oboe with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. In 1999, James moved to Toronto to continue his performance education at the Royal Conservatory of Music's Glenn Gould School, under the tutelage of Richard Dorsey, then-Principal Oboe with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Over the years, James has appeared in a number of professional and amateur orchestras across Canada.
James's career path ultimately led him to the legal profession. By day, James is now a constitutional and civil rights lawyer. He works with a national not-for-profit legal charity organization whose mission is to defend Canadians' rights and freedoms. He represents clients from all walks of life, on a pro bono basis, before courts and tribunals across Canada, regularly invoking the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and provincial and federal human rights legislation.
In his spare time, James is an avid home chef, wine enthusiast, sailor and scuba diver. He is fluent in French and conversant in Mandarin.
