Next Engagement:

May 27, 2012, 8:30PM

Britten's Spring Symphony

Mid America Productions

See Full Schedule

Chad A. Johnson was born in Muskegon, Michigan. He began his musical studies in the vocal music department of Mona Shores High School and then went on to Western Michigan University, The University of Kentucky and the American Institute of Musical Studies, Opera Studio in Graz, Austria. He is a student of renowned soprano, Virginia Zeani.

In 2001, Chad joined the young artist program of the Chicago Opera Theater. Over the next two seasons he performed in the operas ensembles and covered the role of the Male Chorus in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia. That May, Chad joined the Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Artist Program for Singers and was then invited to join the Young Artist Ensemble at the Florida Grand Opera. During the 2002/03 and 2003/04 seasons Chad sang many roles including the Second Jew in Salome, Benvolio in Roméo et Juliette, Gastone in La Traviata, Joszef in the North American premier of Ede Donath’s Szulamit and Pong in Turandot. The following summer, Chad sang the role of Harry, the miner in La fancuilla del West at Glimmerglass Opera, as a member of the Young American Artists Program.

Chad has also been active as a concert soloist. He has performed with the Atlanta Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, the Boston Pops, Sun Valley Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Chamber Orchestra and Master Chorale, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, AIMS Festival Orchestra, the Symphony of the Americas and the New World Symphony. He has been a featured soloist in such works as Mozart's Requiem and Coronation Mass, Handel's Messiah, Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, Bach’s Magnificat, Orff's Carmina Burana and numerous recitals and concerts.

Chad has received prizes from the Young Patronesses of the Florida Grand Opera Vocal Competition, NATS regional and state vocal competitions, the Anna Sosenko Artist Assist Trust and the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts. Most recently, Chad won the Four Cities District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was the Second Place Winner of the Great Lakes Region Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and first prize in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation Competition.

Chad has worked with numerous directors including Peter Sellars, Mark Lamos, Bernard Uzan, Diane Paulus and Renata Scotto. He has also worked with many of today’s great conductors such as James Levine, Yves Abel, Richard Buckley and Robert Spano.

Some career highlights include Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte with the Tanglewood Music Center under the baton of Maestro James Levine, Gėrald in Lakmė with Minnesota Opera and Florida Grand Opera, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with New Orleans Opera, Ruggero in La Rondine with Lyric Opera San Diego and Paolino in Il matrimonio segreto.