NEWS & PRESS
NEWS
2019/20 SEASON ANNOUNCED
July 1, 2019
John's 2019/2020 season brings major role and house debuts for the rising young tenor. Season highlights include a return to John's home city for his debut with Michigan Opera Theater as Adolfo Pirelli in Stephen Sondheim's Sweeny Todd, along with debuts with the New York Oratorio Society in Rachmaninoff's Vespers and with the Berkshire Opera Festival in An Evening of American Opera. This season also features returns to some of John's most acclaimed roles - Younger Thompson in Cippulo's Glory Denied with both Atlanta Opera and Urban Arias as well as Prince Charming in Cendrillon in his return to Opera Birmingham.
PRESS
June 2, 2019
"Cendrillon" enjoys great laughs, glorious singing.
"As the pensive Prince Charming, John Riesen scored his finest impressions in his sensitive soft singing... In their Big Duet Ohse and Riesen gave the grateful audience the Big Operatic Gift of thrilling alloutclimaxes. It was the stuff of fairy tales."
-Addison County Independant
PRESS
April 3, 2019
Gulfshore Opera's 'Traviata' solid musically and dramatically
"John Riesen has opera's Emotional Boy, Alfredo, firmly in hand. He is desperately in love and his heart is on his sleeve for the entire opera. Riesen and Valdes partner beautifully, and Riesen is note-perfect and powerful in his solos, an impressive tenor with dramatics to match. He gains power as the performance continues until his icy public confrontation with his lost love at her friend's soirée."
-Naples Daily News
PRESS
November 28, 2018
Des Moines: Glory, Glory Hallelujah
"John Riesen’s 'Younger Thompson' held the stage with a vibrant, focused tenor, and an impassioned performance of complete commitment and coltish deportment. Mr. Riesen bolted about the stage, flailed at his captors’ abuse, repeatedly flung himself on the floor, and managed to do all of this while singing with secure abandon."
- Opera Today
November 28, 2018
True Impact: DMMO's Glory Denied
"Younger Thompson, the prisoner of war, was a physically grueling role, and John Riesen portrayed the character with heartfelt sincerity. . ."
- Schmopera