A regular performer in both Europe and the United States, John Moore is garnering praise for his energetic performances and burnished baritone in both operatic and concert repertoire. He is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Program.
John Moore’s 2023-24 season began with San Francisco Opera, bowing as Steve Jobs in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, a role he has sung across the United States to great acclaim. In addition, he performed as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Pittsburgh Opera and the title role of Sweeney Todd with Dayton Opera. Subsequently, Mr. Moore joins Seattle Opera for their gala performance and makes his role debut as the title character in Pelléas et Mélisande with Des Moines Metro Opera.
The baritone’s previous season included a variety of debut roles and returns to several favorites. At Seattle Opera, he debuted the role of Rasheed in the operatic adaptation of A Thousand Splendid Suns. He bowed as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with New Orleans Opera, and joined Utah Opera in a return to the role of Steve Jobs. On the concert stage, he made his debut at Amsterdam's Royal Concertgebouw as Leon Klinghoffer in John Adams' The Death of Klinghoffer, conducted by the composer. He also joined the Jacksonville Symphony for Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem and Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden gesellen, and performed Handel’s Messiah with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In recital, he appeared with soprano Joélle Harvey and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society.
Featured performances during the 2021-2022 season included the rescheduled tour of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, reprising the titular Steve Jobs with Austin Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Atlanta Opera. He also returned to Seattle Opera as Marcello in La bohème, and joined New Orleans Opera as a soloist in their Gala Concert. In the summer of 2022, he returned to Des Moines Metro Opera as Jess in the world premiere of Kristin Kuster’s A Thousand Acres.
During the COVID-19 impacted 2020-2021 season, John Moore’s engagements included the title role in Eugene Onegin with his hometown company Minnesota Opera (cancelled), Handel’s Messiah with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (postponed), Brahms’ Requiem with the San Diego Symphony, led by Edo de Waart (cancelled), and Conte Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with New Zealand Opera (performed). Mr. Moore’s original engagements during the COVID-19 shortened 2019-2020 season began with the role of Frank Lloyd Wright in Arizona Opera’s production of Shining Brow (performed). He then joined Seattle Opera as the title role in Eugene Onegin (performed), appeared in The Philadelphia Orchestra’s presentation of Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges (performed), and planned to finish the season as Conte Almaviva in New Zealand Opera’s production of Le nozze di Figaro (postponed).
An in-demand interpreter of contemporary works, John Moore created the role of Jan in the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves with Opera Philadelphia, a role he reprised with Beth Morrison Projects. He continued his relationship with Mazzoli as Pa Zegner in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up at Opera Omaha and the Miller Theater. He first debuted the role of Steve Jobs in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs with Seattle Opera, and also there performed the role of Hannah Before in As One, which he additionally performed with Des Moines Metro Opera. He also sang Abbé Lorenzo in a new production of Argento’s Casanova’s Homecoming at Minnesota Opera.
Following his debut in 2007 as Fiorello, Mr. Moore has returned to The Metropolitan Opera on multiple occasions, singing Papageno in The Magic Flute, Moralès in Carmen, Nachtigal in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Fléville in Andrea Chénier, Curio in Giulio Cesare, Simonetto in Francesca di Rimini, Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, Donald in Billy Budd and their annual Opera in the Parks summer concert series. He also toured Russia with members of The Metropolitan Opera.
A regular with Seattle Opera, his other performances there include Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Count Almavivia in Le nozze di Figaro, and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte. In addition to Seattle, he has performed the role of Rossini’s Figaro with Portland Opera, Opera Omaha, and the Santa Cruz Symphony. He has sung his other signature role of the Count in Nozze with San Diego Opera, the Hyogo Peforming Arts Center, and Atlanta Opera.
Mr. Moore made his international debut at Welsh National Opera in 2008 singing Figaro in WNO’s acclaimed English Barber of Seville. Other notable recent performances include: the Glyndebourne Festival as Achilla in Giulio Cesare, Donald in Billy Budd, and on tour with the festival as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro; the Bayerische Staatsoper as Adario in Les indes galantes; Florida Grand Opera as Tadeusz in The Passenger; Tadeusz (cover) in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of The Passenger, Zurga in The Pearl Fishers with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte at Hyogo Performing Arts Center, Japan, and Des Moines Metro Opera as the titular character in Tchaikovksy’s Eugene Onegin and Dr. Malatesta in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale.
On the concert stage, he has appeared at Carnegie Hall with the Oratorio Society of NY under the direction of Kent Tritle, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center featuring works of Vaughan Williams and Weber. He was the baritone soloist in the American premiere of Juraj Filas’s Oratorio Spei with Sacred Music in a Sacred Space. Mr. Moore has also given recitals at his alma mater, Simpson College, People’s Symphony Concerts in NY and Brooklyn Friends of Chamber Music, and toured with Musicians from Marlboro. In addition, Mr. Moore took part in a studio recording of Peter Lieberson’s The Coming of Light with CCM, and premiered Lieberson’s The Coming of Light with Chicago Chamber Musicians.
