|
The American baritone, John Tibbetts, obtained his Bachelors of Music degree from Georgia State University while working with Tenor Richard Clement (2009-2013); and his Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he studied with Baritone William McGraw. He currently studies with renowned Bass Kevin Langan. He was a Gerdine artist with Opera Theater St. Louis, apprentice with Opera Saratoga, Kentucky Opera, and Central City Opera. In 2015 he was a Carolyn Bailey & Dominick Argento Competition Finalist and a recipient of the Georgia District Metropolitan Opera Competition Encouragement Award. In 2018 he was Lotte Lenya Competition Finalist.
John Tibbetts is a frequent recitalist and contender in the arena of concert and opera. He stands apart with his flexible lyric baritone and mature realizations of text. In January 2017, he was a fellow at SongFest at the Hidden Valley Music Festival under the mentorship of Sir Thomas Allen and Graham Johnson. Alongside narration from Mr. Allen and Mr. Johnson, he made his National Public Radio debut with selections from Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise. No stranger to contemporary works, he also performed Libby Larson's The Curious Case of H.H. Holmes while in Cincinnati. He sang Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Atlanta Master Chorale in May 2017. Following that fall, he sang Haydn's The Creation with The Burnt Hills Oratorio Society in NY, and Orff's Carmina Burana with NY Choral Society. He has also sung Gustav Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer and Rückert-Lieder, Adam in The Creation, Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ, W.A. Mozart’s Missa brevis in F Major, and Mack Wilberg’s Requiem.
John Tibbetts made his professional opera debut with Kentucky Opera February 2018 singing Fiorello in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia with Megan Marino, John Irvin (Georgia State Alum) and Will Liverman, while touring local schools and performing for disabled and homebound adults. Later that March, he made his Atlanta Symphony Orchestra debut singing the songs of Aaron Copland. He made in New York City Debut at the Merkin Center premiering Andy Tierstein's The Tree of Eternal Life with American Lyric Theater in April 2018. He returned to Opera Saratoga last summer (2018) to revive David T Little's 2010 Vinkensport/TheFinch Opera an "Immaculately cast" (WSJ 2018) production, while covering Danilo Danilovitch and singing Cascada in Lehar's The Merry Widow.
John Tibbetts returned to his Alma Mater The Georgia State in April 2019 and collaborated with local Venezuelan film director Genesis Aries to commemorate 100 years of Leonard Bernstein in Carroll Freeman's adaptation of Candide under the baton of Michael Palmer from the Bellingham Festival; he performed Adam in Hadyn's Creation with Maestro Palmer in 2015 alongside bass Morris Robinson. In May 2019, he toured his home state of Georgia performing with acclaimed duo-organist Ray Chenault, former Organist Choirmaster at All-Saints Episcopal, Atlanta. They stunned audiences with their program "Broadway, Spirituals, and More!" in Atlanta and south Georgia. Formerly a Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist with the Virginia Opera, he developed the series with Ray in recital at St Paul's Episcopal Church in King George, Virginia while making his role debut as The Official Registrar and covering Sharpless, Prince Yamadori, and The Official Commissioner in Madama Butterfly.
Last fall (2018), John Tibbetts toured Virginia schools in an outreach production of L'elisr d'amore with 2019 JoElyn Wakefield-Wright Stage Director Fellowship recipient Kaley Smith while covering Belcore. Under Adam Turner's tenure, Tibbetts made his Virginia Opera Debut in a double bill performing the role of cheating boyfriend Beau in Service Provider by Weiss & John de los Santos and Sam in Breaking, highlighting the pressures of producers during the age modern age of the 24-hour news cycle by Michael Gilbertson (2018 Pulitzer Prize Finalist) & Caroline V. McGraw in addition to Kahene's Neurotic and Lonely from Craigslistlieder.
This highly anticipated spring season (2019) ended on a high note with the full compliment of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. Tibbetts made his role debut as Le Doncaïro in Bizet’s Carmen alongside legendary mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves. This was Steven Smith’s conclusory performance as the symphony’s conductor.
2019 Sarasota Apprentice: John Tibbetts will join Sarasota Opera this fall (2019) in their production of Rigoletto, covering Marullo. 2019 Encrantz Fellow: He made his role debut as Escamillo in at the Hilo Palace Theater singing in The Tragedy of Carmen directed by Scott Skiba and conducted by Jennifer Tung music by Bizet&Brook. Singing the role of Harry in Sondheim's Company. 2019 Stern Fellowship: he debuted the cycle Feeling the world as it passes through you by Martin Hennessy and performed on a series of master-classes and concerts.
Other engagements include Il conte Robinson in Cimarosa's Il matrimonio segreto with Queen City Opera, and 2nd prisoner in L.v. Beethoven's Fidelio at Cincinnati Opera. Other roles include Count Almaviva inW.A. Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, John Procter in The Crucible, John Brooke in Little Women, Il Signor Bruschino in Rossini's Il Signor Bruschino, Pandolfe in Massanet's Cendrillon, and the 1971 opera with text by Anne Sexton and music by Conrad Susa, Transformations. |
