Following a series of important debuts at leading international opera houses and festivals, John Irvin has quickly established himself as one of the most interesting young tenors in the Bel canto and French repertoire, Mozart roles as well as in contemporary music.

2024 marks a CD release of La damnation the Faust with the London Philharmonic Orchestra led by Edward Gardner and John Irvin singing the title role, which he also reprises in March for a one-off concert performance at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées with Cristian Măcelaru at the helm of the Orchestre National de France. In April 2024, John sings the tenor solo part of Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra led by Dan Ettinger.

Engagements of the 2022/2023 season have included Stravinsky’s Les Noces at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Franck’s Les Béatitudes with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège and the title role of La damnation de Faust with the London Philharmonic Orchestra led by Edward Gardner at the Royal Festival Hall.

In 2021/2022, he appeared in Rossini’s Le siège de Corinthe in Athens, Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Belmonte) at the Staatstheater and Mai-Festspiele Wiesbaden, Berlioz’ Requiem with the Orchestre Philharmonique des Pays de la Loire, Rossini’s Stabat Mater with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and La petite messe solennelle with the Stuttgart Philharmonic. In summer 2022, he made his debut at the Buxton Festival as Rodrigo in La donna del lago.

Other recent highlights include his debuts at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Nice Opera House and with the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Helsinki in the title role of La damnation de Faust, his debuts at the Metropolitan Opera New York and the Salzburg Festival in The Exterminating Angel as well as at the Rossini Opera Festival Pesaro as Cléomène in a new production of Le siège de Corinthe, where he also appeared in a “Three Rossini Tenors” concert; The Shepherd in Stravinsky’s Oedipe with the Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia at the Festival dei Due Mondi of Spoleto, Pirro in a new production of Ermione for his house debut at the Teatro San Carlo of Naples, his Latvian National Opera and role debut as Ruggero in La Rondine, Vaudemont in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta in Chicago, Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, his role debut as Duca in Rigoletto for Kentucky Opera, Conte d’Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia at the Grange Festival, Rodolfo in a new production of La bohème at Theater Heidelberg, Berlioz’s Lélio at the Beethoven Festival Bonn, Berlioz’s Requiem with the Bochum Symphony Orchestra, a Méhul gala concert with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at St John’s Smith Square in London, Roméo in Roméo et Juliette at Madison Opera and Ernesto in Don Pasquale at the Springfield Regional Opera.

Originally a pianist, the American tenor studied singing at the Georgia State University and Boston University’s Opera Institute. As an alumnus of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago his many roles included Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Percy in Anna Bolena and Alfred in Die Fledermaus.

Among the conductors he has collaborated with are Roberto Abbado, Sir Andrew Davis, Gustavo Dudamel, Stéphane Denève, Edward Gardner, John DeMain and Cristof Perick.

 

March 2024