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The American baritone, John Bitsas, studied at St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois (2008-2012). He obtained his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Simpson College Indianola, Iowa, where he studied voice with Matthew Lau and coached with Robert Larsen (2012-2016). With Simpson College Opera, he performed there such roles as Figaro in W.A. Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Simone in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Le fauteuil in Ravel's L’enfant et les sortilèges, Endimione in Cavalli’s La Calisto, George Jones in Weill’s Street Scene, and The Abbot in Benjamin Britten’s Curlew River. He obtained his Master of Music in Opera Performance from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, tutelage of Dr. Rebecca Folsom (2016-2018). With Boston Conservatory Opera, he performed the role of Guglielmo in W.A. Mozart's Così fan tutte, Owen Hart in Heggie's Dead Man Walking, Melisso in George Frideric Handel's Alcina, Herr Reich in Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, and covered the role of The Prophet/Larry King (cover) in Muhly’s Dark Sisters.
On the concert stage, John Bitsas has been a soloist in J.S. Bach's Magnificat (BWV 243) (2017), Schubert’s Mass in G, (2017), J.S. Bach's Cantatas BWV 113 (2017) and BWV 94 (2016), G.F. Handel's Messiah (2015, 2016), Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem (2016), G.F. Handel's Utrecht Te Deum and Jubilate Deo (2014), L.v. Beethoven’s Fantasia in C minor, Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and B. Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb.
John Bitsas has trained in the past as a young artist at the Ad Astra Music Festival (2016), where he performed M. Duruflé's Requiem as well as various art song recitals and at Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre (2016, 2015) where he covered the role of Marchese d'Obigny and performed the role of Commissario in Verdi's La traviata. In the summer of 2017, he performed the role of Betto di Signa in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with the Crested Butte Opera Studio along with performing in an art song recital and a cabaret.
John Bitsas has also performed with Des Moines Metro Opera, Central Iowa Orchestra, Orchestra Iowa, and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and has been a young artist at the Bach Institute in collaboration with Emmanuel Music in Boston, MA (2017).
In addition, John Bitsas sang in Chicago Children's Choir (2009-2012); was UGA to the Chair of the Department of Music at Simpson College Music Office (2013-2016); and has been Bass section leader at Arlington Street Church - Unitarian Universalist (since June 2018). He currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts. |
