Joshua Dennis
The Minneapolis Star Tribune praises tenor Joshua Dennis’ performances, exclaiming, “he made his sincerity believable, and his voice, a robust tenor with baritonal heft, rose to the high climaxes with ringing, ardent bravado.” In the 2017-18 season, he returns to Minnesota Opera to debut the role of the Duca in Rigoletto and makes his debut with Utah Opera as Greenhorn in a new production of Heggie’s Moby Dick. He also makes his Los Angeles Philharmonic debut under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen as Monsieur Vogelsang in Der Schauspieldirektor and joins the Las Vegas Philharmonic for Handel’s Messiah. Last season, he made his company debut as Alfredo in Konwitschny’s acclaimed production of La traviata with Seattle Opera. He also made role and company debuts with Minnesota Opera as Roméo in Roméo et Juliette and Kentucky Opera as Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. He joined the Houston Symphony as Jaquino in Fidelio and returned to Arizona Opera to create the role of Bern Venters in the world premiere of Bohmler’s Riders of the Purple Sage, Opera Idaho for his first performances of the title role of Werther, and the Santa Fe Symphony for further performances of Handel’s Messiah. He also sang Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde in a special arrangement at the XXI Festival International de Piano en Blanco & Negro in Mexico.
The tenor’s other recent performances include Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Michigan Opera Theater, Alfredo in La traviata with Opera Columbus and Opera Idaho, Roy Dexter in the American premiere of Arizona Lady with Arizona Opera, the title role of Faust with Annapolis Opera, previous performances of Jaquino in Fidelio with Santa Fe Opera, Ferrando in Così fan tutte with Ash Lawn Opera and Opera Naples, and Frederic in Pirates of Penzance with Eugene Opera. On the concert stage, he has joined the Santa Fe Symphony on numerous prior occasions for Handel’s Messiah as well as for a concert of opera favorites. Additionally, he has sung Dubois’ Les sept paroles du Christ in Lufkin, Texas. The tenor is also a former Apprentice Artist Santa Fe Opera, at which he sang Serrano in La donna del lago, and Des Moines Metro Opera. He was a district winner and finalist in the northeastern region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was the National Association of Teachers of Singing Singer of the Year in 2011 and first place winner of the graduate division in 2010.
He holds a bachelor of music from Stephen F. Austin State University, at which his performances included Handel’s Messiah, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, and Sam in Susannah.
