James Cheung began his piano studies at the age of eight. At eleven he entered the Royal College of Music Junior Department to study with American Pianist Aaron Shorr and won the award for outstanding contribution to the college by a pianist. In 1996 after winning the Kenwood Young Musician of the Year James entered the Royal Academy of Music to continue his studies with Aaron Shorr. In 1998 James continued his studies at the Academy with Tatiana Sarkissova and graduated in June 2000 having won numerous prizes and awards. After studying privately for a year with Ms. Sarkissova and taking lessons from other pianists (Hortense Cartier-Bresson (Paris Conservatoire) and Dimitri Alexeev) James was accepted in 2001 on the postgraduate Professional Training Course at the Moscow Conservatoire, studying piano with Alexander Mndojants and Chamber Music with Alexander Bonduriansky (Moscow Piano trio).

Performing has taken James to many countries. He made a tour of Hungary playing both solo and chamber music. Performances there included the Russian Embassy and the Bela Bartok Institute. A tour of the Far East included a televised concert to celebrate the birthday of the Sultan of Malaysia. In the U.K. James has performed regularly at venues such as Kettles Yard Cambridge and the Holywell Music room Oxford as well as many other venues in London etc. Whilst in Moscow James performed regularly in the Rachmaninov Hall of the Conservatoire and was invited to represent Great Britain at the Samara Music Festival. Recent performances in the UK include the Little Venice Festival, the Chichester Festivities, and the Endellion Festival.