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Hailed as “every inch the hero in stature and voice” (Classical Voice North America) and praised for his “impassioned and vibrant” singing (Opera Today), American tenor John Riesen has built a multifaceted career spanning opera, symphonic performance, musical theatre, commercial recording, television, and music technology. His career has taken him from Carnegie Hall and major symphony orchestras to national television, Major League Baseball stadiums, and performances for U.S. Presidents and Supreme Court Justices.
Recognized for his powerful lyric tenor, commanding stage presence, and stylistic versatility, Riesen has established himself as one of the most dynamic vocal artists of his generation. Beyond his work as a performer, he is Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Emitha LLC, where he has helped artists collectively generate more than one billion Spotify streams and over one hundred million YouTube views through innovative audience development, streaming, and digital marketing strategies. His unique combination of artistic excellence and entrepreneurial leadership has positioned him at the forefront of the rapidly evolving music industry.
Riesen has appeared with many of North America's leading orchestras, opera companies, and presenting organizations. His engagements have taken him to some of the country's most prestigious stages, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Grant Park Music Festival, Pacific Symphony, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Detroit Opera, Utah Opera, Nashville Opera, Pensacola Opera, Opera Montana, Berkshire Opera Festival, Chautauqua Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Portland Symphony Orchestra, Flint Symphony Orchestra, Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, and numerous other organizations throughout the United States and Canada.
A frequent soloist in both classical and crossover repertoire, Riesen has earned acclaim in works ranging from Carmina Burana, Messiah, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 to Broadway and Pops productions celebrating the Great American Songbook. Career highlights include his Carnegie Hall debut as tenor soloist in Carl Orff's Carmina Burana with the Oratorio Society of New York under Kent Tritle, followed by a return engagement as tenor soloist in Mozart's Vesperae de Dominica. His operatic repertoire includes Don José in Carmen, Rodolfo in La Bohème, the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, Alfredo in La Traviata, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd, Camille de Rosillon in The Merry Widow, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Younger Thompson in Glory Denied, and numerous additional leading tenor roles.
Equally sought after for Pops, Broadway, and crossover performances, Riesen has appeared in productions of Prohibition, holiday spectaculars, Broadway-themed concerts, and symphonic celebrations of Rodgers & Hammerstein and the Great American Songbook. His ability to move seamlessly between classical, theatrical, and contemporary repertoire has made him a favorite guest artist with orchestras and presenters throughout North America.
Beyond the concert hall, Riesen has been privileged to perform for distinguished public figures and national events throughout his career. He has sung for President Barack Obama, President Jimmy Carter, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and District Judge Stephanie Kulp Seymour, among other civic and cultural leaders. A sought-after performer for ceremonial occasions, he has also performed the National Anthem for numerous collegiate, semi-professional, and professional sporting organizations, including Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, the Pensacola Ice Flyers, Michigan State University athletics, and other organizations throughout the United States.
Riesen has also become one of the most prolific independent vocal recording artists in the classical and crossover genres. His discography includes more than 130 commercially released recordings, including the albums What You'd Call a Dream and Christmas at Home, and has generated more than 10 million streams across Spotify and Apple Music. His recordings have reached listeners in over 100 countries and continue to attract a growing international audience. Recent critical acclaim includes praise for his “soaring vocal performance” on Terry Lee Nichols' album Love Is..., further solidifying his reputation as a versatile and expressive recording artist.
National audiences came to know Riesen through NBC's America's Got Talent, where he appeared as a featured vocalist with finalist act Metaphysic. His performance of “Nessun Dorma” as the singing voice behind Howie Mandel's AI-generated likeness became one of the most talked-about moments of the season, with Simon Cowell calling it “the best act of the series.” The group ultimately advanced to the finals, introducing Riesen's voice to millions of viewers worldwide.
In addition to his performing and entrepreneurial achievements, Riesen serves as an associate producer on the Grammy-nominated recording project The Impossible Dream, reflecting his commitment to artistic collaboration and innovation across the music industry.
Before pursuing music professionally, Riesen was an accomplished student-athlete and competitive baseball pitcher. He earned All-Region honors in both 2006 and 2007 and was recognized with the All-State Academic Award in 2008. The discipline, preparation, and work ethic cultivated through athletics continue to influence his approach to performance, business, and artistic excellence.
Whether performing opera on the world's great stages, collaborating with leading symphony orchestras, recording new music in the studio, or helping artists navigate the future of the music industry, John Riesen continues to redefine what it means to be a modern classical vocalist in the twenty-first century.
