+++
date = "2015-08-19T19:39:00+02:00"
discipline = "Baritone"
lastmod = "2015-08-19T19:40:00+02:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1545409169/media/webhook-uploads/1440005863579/KirbyHeadshot-SeriousSquare.jpg.jpg"
publishDate = "2015-08-19T19:40:00+02:00"
related_companies = ["scene/companies/myopera.md","scene/companies/the-bicycle-opera-project.md","scene/companies/loose-tea-music-theatre.md","scene/companies/indie-opera-to.md"]
slug = "johnathon-kirby"
title = "Johnathon Kirby"
website = "http://www.johnathonkirby.com/"
[[social_media]]
platform = "Instagram"
template = "social-media"
url = "https://www.instagram.com/bodybyopera"

+++

Praised for his “wonderful bel canto singing” and his “heroic baritone” sound, Johnathon Kirby is showing that he “brings the oodles of charisma that one associates with a pop-star athletic celebrity”.  

Johnathon is from Newmarket, Ontario. He made his professional opera debut with Opera Nova Scotia in their Canadian premier of Mozart’s _Zaide_. He has appeared in subsequent Opera Nova Scotia seasons for their main stage productions of _The Beggar’s Opera_ as Macheath, _Don Giovanni_ as Masetto, and _Luisa Miller_ as Miller.  In total Johnathon has performed in 9 Seasons of Opera Nova Scotia productions.  He has performed with opera companies and programs across Canada.

He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Dalhousie University where he appeared in several productions including the title role in _Gianni Schicchi_, and Jupiter in Offenbach’s _Orpheus in the Underworld_. In 2015 he debuted the role of J.A.D McCurdy in the world premier of the Dean Burry and Lorna Macdonald original work _The Bells of Baddeck_. For the 2016-2017 season Johnathon joined the Calgary Opera Emerging Artist Program where he made his main stage debut in the role of Constable Lawson in the John Estacio and John Murrell Canadian work _Filumena_.  This past season he returned to the Emerging Artist Program for a second year, playing the roles of Fiorello in _The Barber of Seville_, Zaretsky in _Eugene Onegin_, Angelotti in _Tosca_ and Don Alfonso in _Cosi fan tutte_. 

He ended his 2017-2018 season by returning to Toronto to play Figaro in _The Barber of Seville_, with Opera 5, receiving critical acclaim for his portrayal of the title role.  He received a DORA award nomination for best performance of an individual with his portrayal of Figaro . He made his Opera Manitoba debut in the 2018-2019 season playing the role of Masetto in _Don Giovanni_.  He returns to Opera Manitoba for the 2019-2020 season to play the roles of Dancaire and Morales in their production of _Carmen_. 

When not on the operatic stage Johnathon enjoys concert work, his most recent contracts include performing _Messiah_ with The Whipsering River Orchestra, and The Mozart Experience Concert with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He has also enjoyed performing _Te Deum_ from Tosca with The Brott Opera Music Festival and performing the roles of Raphael and Adam with The Festival Chorus production of _The Creation_ by Haydn.  His next concert will be in the spring of 2020, Kingston Symphony's performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony. 