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“In each role [William Still and
John], his voice is expressive and soaring” |
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Most recently Mr. Johnson has performed at the National Concert Hall in Dublin, Ireland, and at the National Association of Negro Musicians in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the Chicago area Mr. Johnson performed on a Menotti Tribute with Chamber Opera Chicago, and recorded music for a Joplin musical to be aired on WTTW radio. In recent seasons, Mr. Johnson has performed Handel’s Messiah with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, and as Sportin’ Life from Porgy and Bess at the Norris Performing Arts Center in St. Charles, IL. He has also been seen at Chicago’s Millennium Park as a part of “Sondheim in the Park”, and Gospel Fest at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Mr. Johnson made his debut with the Racine Symphony Orchestra in Mozart’s Missa Brevis, K 220, and made his debut at the Ravinia Music Festival as Don Jose’ in Carmen with Opera Theatre North. With the Chicago Ensemble, Mr. Johnson has collaborated in chamber music concerts. Other operatic appearances have included Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Center for American Artists Opera In The Neighborhoods, Connecticut Opera, Syracuse Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Chautauqua Opera, the Lake George Opera Festival, Shreveport Opera, Teatro Real, Madrid, and Opera Memphis. Some of Mr. Johnson’s operatic roles have included Tamino in The Magic Flute, Rodolfo in La Boheme, Goro in Madama Butterfly, Spoletta in Tosca, Don Basillio in Le Nozze di Figaro, both Don Jose’ and El Rememdado in Carmen, Elder Hayes in Susannah, Peter, Mingo and Sportin’ Life (concert version) in Porgy and Bess, and King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors. His concert repertoire, as a soloist includes, Bach’s Magnificat and Cantata No.4 (Christ lag in Todes Banden), Dubois’ Seven Last Words, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation and Heilig-Messe (Mass in Bb), Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Saint-Saens’Christmas Oratorio, Hale Smiths’ Symphonic Spirituals for tenor and orchestra, and Vaughn-Williams’Hodie. He has performed in recital at the Chicago Cultural Center, the Smithsonian Institute, the Yale Museum of Art, Atlanta's Symphony Center (a concert aired on National Public Radio), with the Michigan City Community Orchestra, and the Wheaton Symphony. Mr. Johnson has also garnered prizes and awards, including being a Regional Finalist in the Mac Allister Competition, the Frank Pandolfi Award from the Connecticut Opera Guild Scholarship Competition, a Scholarship Recipient from the Atlanta Opera, and the Ekstein Performance Grant from Northwestern University. A native of Chicago, Mr. Johnson received his Master of Music Degree from Northwestern University, and his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Morehouse College. |
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American tenor, Cornelius Johnson, quickly gained attention as an artist in opera, concert, and as a recitalist. His performances have been described as “refreshing, sparkling, and exciting.” Mr. Johnson made his professional solo operatic debut, as Peter the Honeyman, in Houston Grand Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess, touring major houses in the United States, as well as the Opera Bastille, in Paris, France, the Teatro alla Scala, in Milan, Italy, and the Bunkamura Theater, with the Tokyo Philharmonic.