James Clapperton (born 1968 in Aberdeen) is a Scottish composer and pianist. In 1984 he performed an arrangement of Stravinsky's 'Rite of Spring' made by himself and David Horne for piano duet at the Dartington Summer School. Witold Lutoslawski, Michael Tippett and Harrison Birtwistle were in attendance. In 1988 he was awarded the Kranichsteiner Musikpreis at the Darmstadt Ferienkurse fur Neue Musik. Since then he has worked with many of the world's leading composers. In 1991 he gave the world premiere of Europera 3 by John Cage and toured in London, Strasbourg, Berlin and Paris with the composer. At this time he performed regularly as a piano duo with his former tutor Yvar Mikhashoff.