Exciting American tenor Joshua Kohl was called a “tenor to watch” by
The Boston Herald and was recently singled out for his “glorious, relaxed performance” by
Opera News.
During the 2009 - 2010 season, the tenor joins Dallas Opera as Pinkerton in
Madama Butterfly, Utah Opera as Macduff in
Macbeth, Sarasota Opera as Tamino in
Die Zauberflöte, Lake George Opera as Don José in
Carmen, Commonwealth Opera for Ferrando in
Cosi fan Tutte, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for a series of concerts, and the New Haven Symphony as the tenor soloist in
Messiah. In future seasons Mr. Kohl sings Alfredo in
La Traviata with Tulsa Opera and Don Ottavio in
Don Giovanni with Sarasota Opera, among others.
During the previous season, he sang Rodolfo in
La Boheme with Pittsburgh Opera, and made debuts with Opera Theatre of St. Louis as First Jew in
Salome and with Virginia Opera as Nemorino in
L’elisir d’amore. As Nemorino, he was praised for his “sincere and touching performance. The young tenor displayed a bright voice of great size, yet capable of movement and nuance.” (
Portfolio Weekly) On the concert stage he presented a recital under the auspices of the Upper Ohio Valley Opera Guild, joined Yale University for a performance of Stravinsky’s
In Memoriam Dylan Thomas, and appeared with both Opera Providence and Connecticut Concert Opera.
During the 2007-2008 season, Mr. Kohl joined Opera North for performances of Tamino in
Die Zauberflöte, sang Al Joad in
The Grapes of Wrath with Utah Opera, and covered the title roles in both
Troilus and Cressida and
The Tales of Hoffmann with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. While an Artist Diploma candidate in Opera at Yale University, he appeared as Torquemada in
L’Heure Espagnole, Alfred in
Die Fledermaus, and Dr. Ucitelli in
Comedy on a Bridge. Concert engagements included
Carmina Burana with the Yale Camerata,
Les Noces with the Yale Symphony Orchestra, and Gounod’s
St. Cecilia Mass with the Connecticut Master Chorale, for which the
Danbury News-Times said his rendition of the Sanctus was the “high point” of the afternoon. He represented the city of San Francisco at the Nakanoshima International Music Festival in Osaka, Japan, and offered a recital for the Albright College Concert Series for which
The Reading Eagle praised him for his “ambitious program that showed his versatility, his acting ability and, above all, his glorious voice.”
Operatic highlights from recent seasons include performances as Al Joad in the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s
The Grapes of Wrath, Serano in
La Donna del Lago, Nathaniël/Spalanzani in
Les contes d’Hoffmann, and the cover role of Gérald in
Lakmé – all at Minnesota Opera while he was a Resident Artist. In addition, he has performed in principal and comprimario roles with Boston Lyric Opera, Minnesota Opera, Utah Opera, Virginia Opera, San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program, Atlanta Lyric Theatre, The Ohio Light Opera, Yale Opera, Boston University’s Opera Institute, and at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. On the concert stage he has performed with composer Richard Wargo in
From the Bards of Ireland, a concert of Irish-inspired music, in addition to appearances in Los Angeles with Operetta Foundation. He appears as the title character in Albany Records’ recently released album
The Birdseller.
A National Semi-Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2007, he also received Honorable Mention in the 2008 Irma Cooper International Vocal Competition, and placed 7th in the 40th Annual Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition in 2009. Mr. Kohl earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati, and a Master of Music degree from Boston University.