John Riesen

Classical/Crossover vocalist

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43 Reviews (37 Verified)
John Riesen on SoundBetter

As seen as America’s Got Talent season 17 semi-finals as the voice of Howie Mandel, John's classically trained voice will astound you with it's power, beauty, range and flexibility. Trained in opera, John can provide the vocals you need for your crossover, jazz, or classical hits. (Also seen at Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, etc)

Classically trained in opera performance, but working as a crossover
(pop, broadway, folk, jazz) singer. Full baritone and tenor range (low G to high C in chest voice, and additional falsetto range above that (over 4 octave range).

Gifted with a beautiful, powerful, vibrant, refined, classically trained voice, American singer John Riesen straddles the line between Opera and Pop with ease. Originally inspired by Josh Groban, Audra McDonald, Michael Bublé and Tom Jones John pursued a career as an operatic tenor and Classical Crossover singer.

Recently John Riesen was seen in his Lincoln Center debut as the voice of Tony in Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story Suite as well as the tenor soloist in Stravinsky's Les Noces with the New York City Ballet, and tenor soloist in Rachmaninoff's Vespers with the NY Oratorio Society. He will be making his Carnegie Hall Debut as Tenor Soloist in the Messiah this December.

Seen most recently in collaboration with PBS TV superstar pianist-composer Marina Arsenijevic singing new arrangements of Crossover standards by Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Tom Jones and many others.

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for John Riesen
  • Jonathan Estabrooks, John Riesen
  • Laura Auer (2)

Languages

  • English
  • French
  • German
  • Italian

43 Reviews - 7 Repeat Clients

Endorse John Riesen
  1. Review by Los E.
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    by Los E.
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    John ia a Wonderful Singer, did a great job very promptly with a playful but professional attitude! Will definitely use again!

  2. Review by mariano s.
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    Great job and a wonderful vocalist.

  3. Review by Dario P.
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    Third job completed with John, always a guarantee!

  4. Review by Thomas D.
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    I reached out to John knowing he was the perfect person for the job . He quickly was in touch with me so I sent him all the information of tracks and lyrical sheets . His voice speaks for itself. He sent me exactly what I wanted and isn’t that what we all want )
    Thanks John thanks Soundbetter

  5. Review by Dario P.
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    John is a fantastic singer, his interpretation of my operatic aria was superb. I am very satisfied.

  6. Review by Marino P.
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    John is a phenomenal tenor and a pleasure to work with on my new classical compositions. Always perfect interpretation. I look forward to work with him again soon.

  7. Review by Dario Pagano
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    John is a great tenor, capable of power and sweetness in singing, with great expressiveness. Furthermore, he is really very quick in completing the job, with great professionalism and availability. I will definitely work with him again in the near future.

  8. Review by Marino P.
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    John Riesen is a phenomenal tenor and a gifted artist.
    He responded to my inquiry immediately and showed great enthusiasm for my song.
    I gave him total freedom of interpretation and he delivered an outstanding vocal.
    I highly recommend John. I hope to have an opportunity to work with him again soon.

  9. Review by Norman Z.
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    Fantastic job. Love your work.

  10. Review by Norman Z.
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    John Riesen is a phenomenal singer and a pleasure to work with. I'm working on another song for him as we speak. Norm Zada.

  11. Review by James A.
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    Great voice and understood exactly what I wanted.

  12. Review by Jonathan Estabrooks
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    I had a quick turn around for a classical composer mixing project and I did not expect the level of talent and speed I received from John. Excellent vocals, professional and super responsive. He is without a doubt on my rehire list.

  13. Review by Jonathan Estabrooks
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    I am absolutely thrilled with John's work. Not only was his voice thrilling, but the speed at which he works is phenomenal. I was on a time crunch and he was quick to respond and deliver his vocal takes. I would highly recommend him to anyone and will ABSOLUTELY work with him again.

  14. Review by Magnus
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    by Magnus
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    Beautiful voice, and the skills to use it in a variety of ways.

  15. Review by Michael G.
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    John's participation in this project has made an enormous difference in its quality, and I am forever grateful to him. He's a brilliant singer and always a delight to work with.

  16. Review by Norman Z.
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    John Reisen is a fantastic singer. He is also a delight to work with. I recommend him highly. Norm Zada.

  17. Review by Andre R.
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    Great collaboration with John, very fast and great tenor, was a pleasure
    to work with him!

  18. Review by Michael G.
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    John's intuitive feeling for the role he has been given in this project is nothing short of stellar! What a talent! Working with him continues to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience!

  19. Review by Michael G.
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    John is simply an amazing talent, and I'm so happy to be working with him on this project! Looking forward to more of this next month!

  20. Review by Michael G.
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    John has an excellent grasp of the character he's playing in our project, and I'm so pleased with the recordings we've made and continue to make together!

Interview with John Riesen

  1. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  2. A: That classical singers can only do one thing. I have the highest level of training, and thus have the tools to be QUITE flexible :).

  3. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  4. A: Budget, usually! I am very flexible, and want to help, as this is a side project for me :).

  5. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  6. A: My path has been a bit unique. I grew up in the Detroit-area as a baseball player– a pitcher to be exact. I loved playing ball, and ended up being awarded All-Region and All-State Academic honors. It wasn’t until my upper teen years that I was introduced to singing, and from there it became my life. I was originally a Voice Performance major with a speciality in opera singer at Michigan State University, studying under Metropolitan Opera tenor Richard Fracker– and in the 6 years I spent at MSU was lucky to have had the opportunity to compete in and win many vocal competitions around the U.S.. From there, I went out into the performance world, and before too long was signed to NYC management team, ADA Artists Management. In 2017, I was asked to try something somewhat new for me, to sing the voice of Tony in West Side Story at the Lincoln Center in NYC for the NYCBallet. This opportunity opened many doors into musical theater which led to my “crossing over” into things such as more productions as Tony in West Side Story, Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, Bill in Kiss Me Kate, Pirelli in Sweeney Todd and many other wonderful shows. Things continued to grow from there, with the release of my first album, “What You’d Call a Dream”– featuring the title song about reliving a memory of playing baseball! I began to invest time into my online music (specifically Spotify) and gained millions of streams. It was surreal. I am now with UIA Management and performing around the world with Symphonies, opera companies, theatre companies and in concert. Truly, I’ve been blessed.

  7. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  8. A: Classical,Musical theatre, cinematic, jazz and opera.

  9. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  10. A: Vocals :)

  11. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  12. A: Like all this, I like to being 110% enthusiasm and effort. I do this as a fun side hobby when not on your or in performance around the world.

  13. Q: What's your typical work process?

  14. A: I typically record several vocals within a day or two of funding. I can read sheet music and don’t take long to record.

  15. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  16. A: I have my home studio with audio technica gear, but for larger projects go to GCR studios in Buffalo, NY (owned by the Goo Goo Dolls)

  17. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  18. A: Typically, I record solo vocals for songwriters and composers. I am operatically trained and have done several art songs, opera arias, and musical theatre pieces on SoundBetter but have also done pop, adult contemporary, jazz and commercial work. I am quite flexible :)

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I was the Singer in this production

Terms Of Service

I am flexible, but want to make sure the product is excellent. I will send several vocal comps, until you are satisfied up to 3 times back and forth.

GenresSounds Like
  • Josh Groban
  • Andrea Bocelli
  • Tom Jones
Gear Highlights
  • audio technica vocal mic/Abelton
More Photos
More Samples
SoundBetter Deal

Happy to work out some kind of discount based on the project and needs :)

  • News Articles for About JohnNov 01, 2022

    Meet John Riesen (interview)

    Buffalo News

    Classical Crossover Magazine

    Detroit News