Today we’d like to introduce you to John Riesen.
Hi John, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, baseball was my first passion. I earned All-State Academic and All-Region awards in Michigan as a pitcher and was primed to take the collegiate world by storm. I never considered the idea of being a professional singer, and in hindsight, it is amazing to see how my path has unfolded. My grandmother, Ruth Banker, offered me and my siblings the opportunity to receive lessons in the arts.
My family thought that voice lessons would be a good idea, as I was the only member of the family to be tone-deaf… unable to match pitch, if you can believe that! From there, things accelerated quickly. I was given a major scholarship as a Voice Performance major at Michigan State University and thrived. I stayed there with my voice teacher (Metropolitan Opera Tenor Richard Fracker) through my master’s degree and then set off into the world for a professional operatic career. From 2014 until now, I’ve been performing full-time professionally.
This last year, I was approached by John Hoomes (Artist Director of Nashville Opera) about the amazing “Favorite Son” project by Grammy-winning Nashville songwriter Marcus Hummon. This “Folk Opera” is about a 31-year-old athlete, that had musical genres ranging from opera, musical theater, and ballad through to folk, Americana, gospel, and country– and I was brought in to tackle that challenge.
It was a huge success and I can’t wait to see where it goes next!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I have been blessed to have had a considerably smooth road until covid took all of us off the stage. Going from high-level baseball directly into opera singing took some adjustment, but my athleticism, discipline, and love of learning really allowed me to flourish. The largest bump in the road was Covid-19.
At first, I did not mind the performance breaks afforded by the Mar 12th pandemic ruling– but as they continued to cancel, I (like many other performers) questioned what I would do next. I have made my full-time living on stage and now that was taken from me.
Thankfully, I am blessed with a strong support system, and with their help, I moved my attention to studio recording, streaming, virtual music-making, and learning about other sides of the industry. Now that I am back performing full-time, I can take everything I’ve learned with me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a professional opera singer and crossover singer. I specialize in my ability to assimilate across genres and use my vocal training to perform in a myriad of styles. In the small world of opera, I am known for my athletic approach to the stage, and my vocal stamina– but I am most proud of my ability to learn new styles and share what is in my heart through my voice.
I have been lucky enough to perform all over the world, but truly, one of my favorite experiences truly was in Nashville performing the world premiere of “Favorite Son” with Nashville Opera.
It was truly remarkable to have Marcus Hummon (Grammy-award winning songwriter), Emma Grimsley (Christine Daae from The Phantom of the Opera US tour), Darrell Scott (Award-winning singer-songwriter and performer), and Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva (award-winning singer) all on stage together, performing this remarkable show with all its different styles.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I have too many to count. I have always been a blissfully optimistic person, and before the weight of adult responsibilities, I thoroughly enjoyed life.
Whether it was time with my siblings and friends, to baseball victories, or the process of going from baseball to singing– I have hundreds of amazing memories. If I had to choose one, it was the Disney World Wide World of Sports baseball tournament.
My father and I flew down with my tournament travel team to Orlando and competed in this amazing tournament at Disney World. Over the course of the tournament, I was awarded the MVP in the tournament and still have the beautiful “Disney WWW of Sports MVP” baseball.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.johnriesen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnriesen
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnriesentenor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/riesenjohn
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/10GHM9JOaF3TLlHWwfApno
Image Credits
Anthony Popolo, Matthew Madison-Clark, and Emitha
