John Riesen

Hailed as “every inch the hero in stature and voice” (Classical Voice North America), award-winning American tenor John Riesen is consistently impressing audiences with his "impassioned...and vibrant" voice (Opera Today). John’s growing career boasts a variety of roles in which he excels and includes significant work in opera, musical theatre, studio recording, and concert, both classical and Pops. He has released two albums: What You'd Call a Dream (2019) and Christmas at Home (2020) and several singles, including “Autumn Leaves” (2021), “What a Wonderful World” (2021), and “Maria” (from West Side Story, 2021), that have reached well over seven million streams on Spotify and Apple Music. John is also the head of Spotify promotion and PR for Emitha LLC, building an ecosystem for classical singers to be heard around the world.

In the 2024-2025 season, John makes his Carnegie Hall début as tenor soloist in Carmina Burana with Oratorio Society New York under the baton of Mo. Kent Tritle. He also returns to Utah Opera in one of his favorite roles, Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd, makes his role debut as Don José in Carmen with Sioux City Symphony, and joins Las Vegas Philharmonic for Handel’s Messiah. Additionally, he appears in concerts with Music for a Great Space, Shreveport Opera, and at several private events.

In the 2023-2024 season, he returned to Pacific Symphony in Mo. Carl St. Clair’s finale concert of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, which he also performed with the Southwest Michigan Symphony, and joined Flint Symphony Orchestra for Carmina Burana. On the Pops stage, he joined The Dallas Symphony and The Phoenix Symphony for their touring concert Prohibition, Virginia Arts Festival with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra as Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd, and both Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for Holiday Pops programming. He was also a featured soloist in Opera Las Vegas 25th anniversary gala, joined Portland Opera for an all-Puccini program, and returned to Opera Montana as Rodolfo in La bohème. The previous season included his début with Brevard Music Center as tenor soloist in Carmina Burana under the baton of Mo. JoAnn Falletta, his role début as Camille in The Merry Widow at Knoxville Opera - where he also reprised his Younger Thompson in Glory Denied - his role début as the Duke in Rigoletto at Opera Montana, a return to Opera Las Vegas as Detective Daniel Lewis in A Capacity for Evil, and Younger Thompson at Opera Roanoke. Additionally, he was named a semifinalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent.

In recent seasons, John appeared as Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance with Utah Opera, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi with On Site Opera, Chris in the world-premiere of Favorite Son by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Marcus Hummons, Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore with Pensacola Opera, Martin in The Tender Land with The Hart School, Alfredo in La Traviata with the Pacific Symphony, and Younger Thompson with Berkshire Opera Festival.

Other career highlights include his début as Roméo in Roméo et Juliette as a guest artist with the Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center, his Detroit Opera début as Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, Younger Thompson in Glory Denied with UrbanArias, and Bill Calhoun in Kiss Me, Kate with Intermountain Opera Bozeman. He also made several role débuts including Prince Charming in Cendrillon with Opera Company of Middlebury, Lensky in Eugene Onegin with Intermountain Opera Bozeman, Alfredo in La Traviata with Gulfshore Opera, Younger Thomspon in Glory Denied with Opera Birmingham and Des Moines Metro Opera, the title role in Candide with Chautauqua Opera, and his Lincoln Center début as Tony in West Side Story Suite with the New York City Ballet.

John’s honors include being a repeat Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, 1st prize in the Harold Haugh Light Opera Competition, and 2nd prize in the Mary Jacobs Smith Singer of the Year Competition, as well as awards from the Opera Columbus Cooper-Bing Competition and the Opera Birmingham Competition.

John has been privileged to sing for political figures, including President Barack Obama, President Jimmy Carter, District Judge Stephanie Kulp Seymour, and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He has sung the national anthem at several collegiate, semi-professional, and professional organizations, including the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, the Pensacola Ice Flyers, MSU hockey/baseball, and more. Before singing, John avidly pursued athletics, attaining all-region pitcher status in 2006 and 2007.