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The Mexican-American baritone, Joseph Canuto Leon, obtained his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Iowa State University (August 2009-December 2013), where he graduated as a George Washington Carver Scholar; and his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from from The University of North Texas: College of Music in Denton (August 2014-May 2017). He received his professional training as a Young Artist at The Dallas Opera (since July 2018) and as an Ader Emerging Artist with Charlottesville Opera (June-July 2022).
Joseph Canuto Leon has continued his career in regional theaters throughout Texas and the American South, singing with The Dallas Opera (since August 2021), Charlottesville Opera in Virginia, Opera on the James in Lynchburg, Virginia (March-April, 2019; including La Traviata in 2019), Opera in the Rock in Little Rock, Arkansas (October 2019-2020; singing Dottore Grenvil and covering Giorgio Germont in La Traviata), American Baroque Opera Company (since July 2021; singing Polyphemus in George Frideric Handel's Acis and Galatea), Opera in Concert (February-May 2019; including Martin in El Barbero de Sevilla), AVA Russian Opera Workshop, Diversitá Opera (June 2018-June 2019; including Peter in outreach production of Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel), and Mansfield Philharmonic (November 2018-2019; including baritone soloist for G.F. Handel's Messiah).
Praised for his “Outstanding Singing” and “Big, bass-y baritone” by The Dallas Morning News, Joseph Canuto Leon is an emerging artist based in the Dallas Metroplex. Some of his major role debuts include the titular role in Tchaikovsky’s Yevgeny Onegin, Belcore in Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, Baron Zeta in Lehar’s The Merry Widow, The Father in E. Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, Count Almaviva in W.A. Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro and Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff. Joseph has also found success in Early Music repertoire, starring as Garibaldo and Polyphemus in Handel’s Rodelinda and Acis and Galatea, Aeneas in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Sabari in Cavalli’s La Doriclea, and the Soldati in Monteverdi’s L’incoronozione di Poppea.
In addition, Joseph Canuto Leon was Bass Section Leader at Collegiate United Methodist Choir in Ames, Iowa (April 2010-May 2013); Baritone staff singer at Saint Michael And All Angels Episcopal Church in Dallas (since August 2016).
The 2022-2023 season sees Joseph Canuto Leon enter his second year as a TDO (The Dallas Opera) Young Artist, where he returns as Belcore in their production of Donizetti's The Elixir of Love both in schools across north Texas and at the Winspear Opera House in November, as well as study covering Donner and Don Alfonso in their mainstage productions of Wagner's Das Rheingold and W.A. Mozart's Cosi fan tutte. 2023 will see him return to American Baroque Opera Company for his debut as Garibaldo in G.F. Handel's Rodelinda at Moody Recital Hall, and he also returns to his home state of Iowa in April to perform the baritone solos in Johannes Brahms' Ein Deutches Requiem with the Des Moines Choral Society during a residency with Iowa State University.
In the field of edcuation, Joseph Canuto Leon was 6th, 7th, and 8th grade choir teacher at Waukee Community School District in Waukee, Iowa (March 2014-May 2014); Adjunct Professor at Tarrant County College in Arlington, Texas (August 2019-2020); Substitute Teacher at Highland Park School District (August 2020-May 2021).
Outside of music, Joseph Canuto Leon is an avid sports fan, supporting the Denver Broncos, Dallas Mavericks, LA Dodgers, and Iowa State football and basketball teams. He currently resides in Dallas with his two cats, Merry and Pippin. |
