Joshua Kohl
Tenor
New England Finalist, 2008

During the 2006-2007 season, tenor Joshua Kohl was a Resident Artist with Minnesota Opera, where he performed Serano in Rossini’s La Donna del Lago, Nathaniël/Spalanzani in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and Al Joad in the World Premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath – a role he later reprised with Utah Opera. In 2007, he won the Minnesota District and the Upper Midwest Region of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions, earning a spot in the National Semi-Finals and the opportunity to sing on the Met stage. In April, he appeared with Virginia Opera as Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance.

During the summer months, Mr. Kohl was in residence with The Ohio Light Opera, appearing as Karl Franz in The Student Prince, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, and Adam in Der Vogelhändler. In previous seasons with OLO, he was seen as Richard in Maytime, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Alvin in A Soldier’s Promise, Georges Dufayel in A Friend of Napoleon, The Duke of Dunstable in Patience, and Raoul Delacroix in The Violet of Montmartre. One can also hear him on OLO’s recordings of Maytime, The Violet of Montmartre, and A Soldier’s Promise. Additional recordings due to be released soon include OLO’s Der Vogelhändler and MNOpera’s The Grapes of Wrath.

In recent seasons, Mr. Kohl has performed with Boston Lyric Opera as The VainMan/The Snake in Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince, Lord Arthur Bucklaw in Donizetti’s Lucie de Lammermoor, and Tonio in Donizetti’s The Daughter of the Regiment (Opera New England Tour). In March of 2006, he sang the role of Prince Sou-Chong in Léhar’s The Land of Smiles with The Atlanta Lyric Theatre. He has collaborated with Operetta Foundation in bringing the galas Delights of Early Broadway and Operetta International: Journey to the Center of the Mirth to Los Angeles audiences. He has also enjoyed working with his friend, Richard Wargo, on From the Bards of Ireland, a showcase of the composer’s Irish-inspired music, which he performed with his wife (and fellow New England Regional Finalist), Sarah Asmar.

A native of Reading, PA, Mr. Kohl attended Boston University (MM – 2005), where he performed the roles of Il Contino Belfiore in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera, Joseph Brennan in Richard Wargo’s Ballymore, Part One: Winners, and Tybalt in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. Before moving to Boston, he received a BM (magna cum laude – 2002) from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he performed the role of #5 – The Magic Object in Conrad Susa’s Transformations. In 2003, he was an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera.

In 2005, Mr. Kohl was a Boston District winner and New England Regional Finalist in the MONCA, and in 2006, he won the Arthur Coppola Memorial Scholarship Award in the Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Competition. He spent the summer of 2006 in San Francisco with the prestigious Merola Opera Program. While there, he performed the role of #6 – The Prince in Transformations and appeared with the San Francisco Opera orchestra in the Grand Finale Concert, singing scenes from Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Street Scene. This past October, he traveled to Osaka, Japan, appearing as tenor soloist in the Nakanoshima International Music Festival, an association celebrating the city’s 50-year sister-city association with San Francisco.

Mr. Kohl is currently an Artist Diploma candidate at Yale University. Upcoming engagements include Alfred in Die Fledermaus and Torquemada in L’Heure Espagnole with Yale Opera; Tenor Soloist in Carmina Burana with Yale Symphony Orchestra; Tenor Soloist in Les Noces with Yale Camerata; Hoffmann (cover) in The Tales of Hoffmann and Troilus (cover) in Troilus and Cressida with Opera Theatre of St. Louis; Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore with Virginia Opera.

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