John Harger Stewart

JOHN STEWART was born in Cleveland to musical parents. His father was a choral conductor and tenor, his mother a pianist and choral conductor.

Stewart began singing early, in his mother's junior choir, then went on to the American Boychoir where he was alto soloist. After three years at Western Reserve Academy where he continued to sing, study viola and piano, and compose, he received a BA in composition and theory from Yale University, where he was the assistant director of the Yale Glee Club, conducted the Apollo Glee Club and was a member of the famed Whiffenpoofs. After Yale he earned an MA in composition and theory from Brown University where he was the assistant director of choral activities. After a post-graduate year at New England Conservatory continuing his voice study, Stewart was an apprentice at the Santa Fe Opera, and his operatic debut as Pinkerton followed soon after.

For twenty years John Stewart sang with most of the leading opera companies and orchestras in Europe and the US, including such companies as the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis and many others. His lyric tenor repertoire included over 50 leading tenor roles in operas by Monteverdi, Rossini and Mozart as well as Puccini, Verdi, Gounod and well up into the 20th century. He has sung the entire oratorio repertoire and many recitals and is represented on the CRI label.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

• Three recordings on CRI: Britten "Michelangelo Sonnets" and "Canticle II" with Ellen Shade and Martin Katz, Rorem's "Four Dialogues" with the composer at the piano, Rorem's "King Midas" and Argento's "To be sung on the water".
• Don Ottavio and Alfred (Fledermaus) at Metropolitan Opera.
• Many new productions and premieres at New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Frankfurt Opera and others, including American premiere of Penderecki's The Devils of Loudon and world premiere of Eaton's The Tempest.
• The Tempter in Britten's The Prodigal Son for Opera Theatre of St. Louis, directed by Colin Graham at Christ Cathedral.
• Sali in Frank Corsaro's ground-breaking production of Delius' A Village Romeo, first for the Washington Opera, later in San Diego and at the New York City Opera.
• Performing with such singers as Beverly Sills, Robert Merrill, Roberta Peters, Shirley Verrett, Grace Bumbry, Gwyneth Jones, Jose Van Dam, Sherrill Milnes, Renata Scotto, Carol Vanness, Erie Mills, Sam Ramey, Frederike Von Stade, Eva Marton, Ellen Shade, Anna Moffo, Elizabeth Soederstrom, Paul Plishka, Michael Devlin, and Hermann Prey.
• Singing under conductors Christoff von Dohnanyi, Pierre Boulez, Leonard Slatkin, Stanislaus Skrowecevski, Michael Gielen, Mario Bernardi, Giuseppe Patane, Carlo Franci, Julius Rudel, Robert Shaw, John Pritchard, Serge Baudo, Nello Santi.

NEW PRODUCTIONS

• The Magic Flute in Geneva, conducted by John Pritchard, in Frankfurt staged by Ruth Berghaus and conducted by Michael Gielen, in Pittsburgh, San Antonio, New York City Opera.
• Tosca in Geneva, with Gwyneth Jones.
• La Clemenza di Tito in Geneva, also at New York City Opera.
• The Love for Three Oranges in Lyons, Frankfurt, and Cleveland (three different languages).
• Pélleas in Hamburg with Teresa Stratas, in Lyons, Brussels, and Darmstadt.
• Jenufa in Frankfurt with Danica Mastilovic and June Card.
• Katya Kabanova in Brussels with Ellen Shade.
• Boris Godunov in Brussels with Jose van Dam.
• Capriccio in Frankfurt with Judith Beckmann and Gundula Janowitz.
• Lucio Silla in Paris, staged by Patrice Chereau.
• A Village Romeo in Washington, New York and San Diego, staged by Frank Corsaro.
• Die Fledermaus (concertante) with the Metropolitan Opera, with Anna Moffo and Roberta Peters.
• Romeo in Philadelphia with Roberta Peters, and in Lille.
• At the Santa Fe Opera: Jakobsleiter, The Florentine Tragedy, Cardillac, Così, Butterfly, Traviata, Rosenkavalier, Violanta, Salome, Arabella, others.
• Don Giovanni at New York City Opera, Frankfurt, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, others.
• Albert Herring at New York City Opera.
• At Opera Theatre of St. Louis: The Prodigal Son (directed by Colin Graham), La Finta Giardinera.
• At the Wexford Opera Festival: Lakmé, The Pearl Fishers.
• Alcina at New York City Opera with Carol Vanness amd Erie Mills.
• Alceste in Frankfurt with Dunya Vesovic.
• Don Pasquale in Frankfurt with Patricia Wise.
• Susanna at the New York City Opera with Samuel Ramey and Faith Esham.
• The Desert Song at the New York City Opera.
• La Traviata in Frankfurt with Barbara Daniels.

WORLD PREMIERES

• At the Santa Fe Opera: The Devils of Loudon (Penderecki), The Tempest (Eaton).
• At New York City Opera: Nine Rivers from Jordan (Weisgall).
• In Frankfurt: Stephen Climax (Zender).

FREQUENTLY PERFORMED

• La Traviata, performed with such sopranos as: Beverly Sills, Renata Scotto, Jean Fenn, Maralin Niska, Ellen Shade, Patricia Brooks, Carol Neblett, Karan Armstrong, Marilyn Mimms and many others, and with baritones Robert Merrill, Domenic Cossa and others.
• Madama Butterfly, performed with such sopranos as Gilda Cruz-Romo, Maralin Niska, Francesco Roberto, Felicia Weathers.
• Così fan Tutte, performed in three different langugages, with among others, Hiledgard Behrens, conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi.
• Zauberflöte, performed with such singers as Benjamin Luxon.
• The Barber of Seville, performed in three languages and many cities, with such singers as Hermann Prey and Reri Grist.
• La Bohème, performed in many cities.
• Salome, performed with many different Salomes including Grace Bumbry, Gwyneth Jones, Anya Silya, Leonie Rysanek.
• Don Giovanni, performed many times including a series at the Metropolitan Opera.

VOICE TEACHERS, COACHES, ACTING COACHES, DIRECTORS

Margaret Harshaw • Frederick Jagel • Cornelius Reid • Blake Stern • Willa Stewart • Nico Castel • Ludwig Donath • Thomas Grubb • Otto Guth • Donald Hassard • Franz Hasl • Paulette Haupt-Nolen • Robert Jones • Martin Katz • Stephen Lord • Ben Terry Lusk • Alberta Masiello • John Moriarty • George Posell • Jeanine Reiss • Frank Corsaro • Patrick Bakman • Ruth Berghaus • Gilbert DeFlo • James de Blasis • Tito Capobianco • Andras Fricsay • Herbert Graf • Ekkehard Gruebler • Bliss Hebert • Hans Hollman • Alfred Kirchner • Harry Kupfer • Lotfi Mansouri • Jonathan Miller • Virginio Puecher • Siegfried Schoenbohm • Nicolas Sulzberger • Vera Zorina