Imig Music Building, N110
John Seesholtz, dramatic baritone, is currently the director of vocal pedagogy at CU Boulder, president of the COWY National Association of Teachers of Singing (Colorado Governor), resident artist with Denver Art Song Project, and instructor at two young artist programs: La Musica Lirica and Up North Vocal Institute.
His most recent operatic performances include “Madama Butterfly” (Sharpless) "Florencia en el Amazonas" (Alvaro), Verdi’s "Otello" (Iago), "Faust" (Valentin), "Candide" (Pangloss), "Così fan tutte" (Guglielmo), "Pagliacci" (Sylvio), Verdi's "Falstaff" (Ford) and "Gianni Schicchi" (title role). He has been contracted to perform Verdi’s “Macbeth” (title role) and “Dolores Claiborne” (Joe) in the coming year.
Some of his solo concert performances include "Carmina Burana," Brahm’s "Requiem," Faure’s "Requiem," Mozart’s "Requiem," Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, “The Seven Last Words of Christ,” Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3, "The Five Mystical Songs," "Sea Symphony," and "Dona Nobis Pacem" by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Seesholtz is currently a resident artist with the Denver Art Song Project. Since February 2017, he has performed on over nine recitals with the project including the song cycles, “Let Us Garlands Bring” by Finzi and “The Songs of Travel” by Ralph Vaughan Williams. He has performed art song throughout the country including the west coast debut of Jake Heggie’s “A Question of Light,” numerous performances and lectures on the AIDS Quilt Songbook and its uncollected works, and, in 2014, debuted new arrangements of the Old American Songs for Baritone and Chamber Wind Ensemble by Copland in five countries: Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and the U.S.
Seesholtz has traveled Europe performing both opera and art song: In 2006, he made his Italian debut in Venice performing Guglielmo in "Così fan tutte" as part of the Goldoni Teatro Festival Italia. Some of his awards include finalist for the Merola San Francisco Opera Program and the Irwin Bushman Award as NATSAA finalist.
Seesholtz travels the country lecturing and giving master classes. He has given presentations at TMEA, ACDA, NATS and CMS.
Seesholtz has published two articles with the Journal of Singing, “The Origin of the Verdi Baritone,” which was recently featured and quoted on the MET Opera Podcast, and “The AIDS Quilt Songbook and It’s Uncollected Works.” Seesholtz holds vocal performance and pedagogy degrees from University of Michigan (MM), University of Texas at San Antonio (BM) and the University of North Texas (DMA). While working on his doctorate, Seesholtz was awarded the Graduate Music Student of the Year award from University of North Texas.
Seesholtz came to the College of Music as director of pedagogy and associate professor of music in Fall 2018.