John Churchwell, piano
with Robert Cassidy and special guest vocal artists
John Churchwell began serving as head of music for San Francisco Opera in August 2011. Prior to this appointment, he served as an assistant conductor for both the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera for 14 years. Mr. Churchwell has worked on more than 100 productions with such conductors as James Levine, Nicola Luisotti, Donald Runnicles, Nello Santi and Sir Charles Mackerras. A champion of American music, Mr. Churchwell participated in the world premieres of John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby, Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, Stewart Wallace/Amy Tan’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter, Philip Glass’ Appomattox, Christopher Theofanidis' Heart of a Soldier, and Tobias Picker's Dolores Claiborne. Recently he led the preparation for John Adams’ world premiere The Girls of the Golden West.
On the recital stage, Mr. Churchwell has partnered with some of today’s most sought-after vocalists, including appearances at the Hollywood Bowl with Ellie Dehn, San Francisco Symphony with Michael Fabiano, and recitals with Lawrence Brownlee, Lisette Oropesa, Joyce DiDonato, James Westman, and Frederica von Stade. He has also appeared frequently in chamber music concerts with members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.
Mr. Churchwell spends his summers at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA, where he has been a member of the voice and piano faculty since 2000. While there, in addition to chamber music performances and public masterclasses, Mr. Churchwell is instrumental in the training of young singers and apprentice coaches.
To order tickets: https://www.smitv.org/concert-series-tickets.html