John Tessier

Biography

On the international stages of opera, concert, and recital, Canadian John Tessier garners praise and attention for the beauty and honesty of his voice, a refined style and creative versatility, and his handsome presence in the lyric tenor repertoire.

During the 2023-24 season John Tessier returns to Edmonton Opera to sing Don Ottavio in Mozart’s classic Don Giovanni as directed and with a new English libretto by Joel Ivany.  Concert appearances include the world premiere of the Jonathan Leshnoff oratorio, Sacrifice of Isaac with Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and programs of Bach and Mozart with the Richard Eaton Singers.

Last season John Tessier returned to Manitoba Opera to reprise his acclaimed portrayal of Prince Ramiro in Rossini’s La cenerentola; and with Calgary Opera he gave a role debut as Steve Wozniak in Mason Bates’ The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.  His international concert schedule included performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn Elijah with the Richard Eaton Singers, and Berlioz’ Roméo et Juliette with the Taiwan Philharmonic.

Highlights of past opera seasons include productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia, La fille du Régiment, and I Puritani at the Wiener Staatsoper, a debut at Teatro alla Scala in a new production directed by Sir David McVicar of Cavalli’s La Calisto led by Christophe Rousset, Die Fledermaus in a fully-staged production at the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy with Diego Matheuz leading the Saito Kinen Orchestra, and Cherubini’s Médée at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées conducted by Christophe Rousset in a new production by Krzysztof Warlikowski.  Additional appearances on leading international opera stages include Les pêcheurs de perles and Maria Stuarda led by Carlo Montanaro at Seattle Opera, a new Jonathan Miller production of The Elixir of Love at English National Opera and the New York City Opera, Il barbiere di Siviglia with New Zealand Opera, and a role debut as Massenet’s Werther in a new production for Manitoba Opera.

John Tessier gave the world première of Robin de Raaff’s Waiting for Miss Monroe at the Netherlands Opera and has sung Der fliegende Holländer under the baton of Jeffrey Tate at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and Don Giovanni for a South American debut at the Teatro Colón conducted by John Neschling.   He also has bowed in The Merry Widow at Vancouver Opera and in Rossini’s comic masterpiece Le comte Ory with Edmonton Opera.

On the concert stage, the tenor has been heard in performances of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Iván Fischer and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall, Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Schumann’s Scenes from Goethe’s Faust with the Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst, Mozart’s Requiem with Hervé Niquet leading the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s Elijah both with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Charlotte Symphony, and Carmina Burana with Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony.  Other concert appearances feature Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Paavo Järvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, Haydn’s “Mass in the Time of War” with Bernard Labadie and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and Berlioz’ Te Deum under the direction of Charles Dutoit at the Philadelphia Orchestra.  He has sung Handel’s Messiah with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and with Emmanuelle Haïm and Le Concert d'Astrée on tour in Vienna, Paris, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Milan.

John Tessier’s vibrant recording catalogue includes Mozart’s Requiem both with Sir Donald Runnicles and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and with Bernard Labadie and Les Violons du Roy, John Corigliano’s A Dylan Thomas Trilogy with Leonard Slatkin and the Nashville Symphony, Stephen Paulus’ To Be Certain of the Dawn with Osmo Vänskä and the Minnesota Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein’s A Quiet Place with Kent Nagano and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and Haydn’s The Creation with Dame Jane Glover leading Music of the Baroque.