Jonathan Stinson '01 to Perform

Friday, July 11, Jonathan Stinson ‘01 will give a Guest Recital as part of the Oberlin Conservatory Vocal Academy for High School Students. The concert, entitled An Evening of British Art Songs on texts of Shakespeare, will include works by Sir Hubert Parry and Gerald Finzi. Stinson will be accompanied by pianist Monica Vanderveen ’88, a vocal coach and collaborative artist who has held positions with the Juilliard School, San Francisco Opera and Aspen Music Festival. She currently works with the Berks Opera Workshop.

Stinson’s performance heralds the opening of the Vocal Academy, an intensive, a nine-day program geared toward high school students ages 15 and older interested in pursuing a career in voice. According to Oberlin Conservatory Professor of Singing Daune Mahy, the program’s director, Stinson’s appearance at the Academy carries a two-fold significance: he was once a participant, and his current success gives these young goal-oriented students an idea of where they could end up in the future.

A native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Stinson began his musical studies at age 5 with the violin, and only began to formally study voice at age 17. After earning a degree in vocal performance from Oberlin Conservatory, Stinson pursued further studies at Indiana University. He is now in the process of completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in voice at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.

Stinson has given concerts across the country with opera companies and as a soloist. He recently sang Joseph de Rocher in Dead Man Walking for Boston Opera Collective, and was a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions as well as a Finalist in the Orpheus National Voice Competition.

This free recital is open to the public and will take place at 8:00 pm on Friday, July 11 in Kulas Recital Hall. For more information about the Oberlin Conservatory Vocal Academy for High School Students—and summer programs in general—please visit Oberlin's summer programs page.