Vail Opera Camp

When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, baritone and director, Johnathan McCullough shifted focus on how to keep creating art in a way that would engage new audiences and serve a social purpose. He pitched the idea for a new production of David T. Little’s Soldier Songs to Opera Philadelphia which would focus on increasing awareness of how PTSD manifests itself through the eyes of one particular veteran. The project that started as a stick figure drawing on a sticky note made it to the front page of the New York Times Arts Section along with features in The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Opera News, and Opera Wire among others. The film also landed the team the Artistic Creation Prize at the Opera America Awards for Digital Excellence in Opera along with GRAMMY® and International Opera Award nominations ultimately leading to Johnathan being invited to become a member of the Recording Academy. 

In this lecture, Johnathan guides artists through the process of coming up with their own unique voice and how to implement that voice into projects that could make them stand out. He provides guidance on subjects from how to pitch projects to companies to how to navigate the behind-the-scenes aspects of the music industry.

GRAMMY® nominated baritone and director, Johnathan McCullough, recently premiered his production of David T. Little’s Soldier Songs produced by Opera Philadelphia which was nominated by the Recording Academy for Best of Recording. The film is currently streaming on the Opera Philadelphia Channel and Marquee TV. He recently made his Canadian directing debut with the Atelier Lyrique of Opéra de Montréal in a program entitled “Emily” centered around works by Emily Dickinson, which he co-created with conductor and pianist Christopher Allen. 

He has sung leading roles at Opera Philadelphia, Komische Oper Berlin, English National Opera, Opéra de Lausanne, Portland Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Walt Disney Concert Hall, David Geffin Hall and many more. Johnathan was selected by Renée Fleming to participate in the Weill Institute Song Studio at Carnegie Hall where he has also performed in concert. Upcoming singing engagements include appearances in leading roles with Pittsburgh Opera, Boise Philharmonic, and Opera Philadelphia.

He holds a B.M., M.M., and Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music and has been engaged as a guest speaker giving his lecture, "Marketing Yourself as a 21st Century Musician" with institutions including Yale, Curtis, UCLA, Mannes Opera, Young Arts, and Pacific Opera Victoria. As a director, McCullough’s work has been noted as “a pacesetter for cinematic opera” by The New York Times. He currently serves as the National Children's Chorus Opera Program Director leading their Vail Opera Camp. Visit https://mcculloughbaritone.com/