James Yi
Born in Songtan, South Korea, and raised in the Lower Mainland, James began studying piano at the age of 16 with late Edward Parker, and at age 18, took up clarinet with Trisha Buehler. He received his BA in performance for clarinet under the guidance of Patricia Kostek, and studied piano with Arthur Rowe at UVic. He currently lives in Victoria, BC, continuing to be a part of the musical community in the city.
James specializes in teaching, with more than a decade of experience, his students’ age ranges from anywhere from 5 to 50.
As an accompanist, he has worked with Fear No Opera, GNS choirs, Salt Spring Singers, and various solo instrumentalists and students in many different genres.
He has worked as summertime music leader at the Cordova Bay United Church, and he is currently the music director at St. Paul’s United Church in Sidney.