Born in Australia, James Munro studied Double Bass at the Conservatorium of Sydney, graduating in 1989 with the highest distinction. He was later to continue his studies at the Royal Conservatorium in The Hague, where he specialised in baroque Double Bass and Violone.

He has since performed with many of the leading orchestras and early music ensembles throughout the world, either in the role of soloist or as principal bass player, amongst them La Petite Bande (Sigiswald Kuijken), Anima Eterna (Jos van Immerseel), Collegium Vocale and L’orchestre des Champs Elysées (Philippe Herreweghe), and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam. With these and many other ensembles he has collaborated on well over 50 CD recordings.

As violone player, double bass player and as chamber musician he has explored in depth the role and repertoire of each instrument, both in its solo and continuo capacities, and has performed regularly as chamber musician and continuo player with many prominent Early music specialists including Gustav Leonhardt, Vincent Dumestre (Le Poème Harmonique) and Trevor Pinnock. As continuo player he has collaborated on a number of French opera productions under the direction of Sir Simon Rattle.

James Munro was a co-founding member of the Ensemble Ausonia, together with its artistic directors Frédérick Haas and Mira Glodeanu, with whom he performed over decades throughout Europe and beyond in numerous leading concert series and festivals, and recorded numerous important works of the Baroque era, including a recent CD release of the »Musikalisches Opfer« of J. S. Bach.

In addition to giving regular master classes throughout Europe, he is Professor of historical Double Bass and Violone at the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels, and is a member of the Freiburger Barockorchester.