John Chest

John Chest was born in Greenville, South Carolina, to parents Sandra Marie Chest and Robert Davis Chest.{{cite web|title=Robert Chest|url=https://www.bju.edu/academics/faculty/facultymember.php?id=rchest|website=Bob Jones University|accessdate=5 August 2018}} He started his professional voice studies at Bob Jones University where he got his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from 2003 to 2007.{{cite web|url=https://eu.greenvilleonline.com/story/entertainment/2017/06/09/greenville-native-john-chest-competes-bbc-music-contest/384915001/|title=Greenville native John Chest competes in BBC music contest|first=Donna|last=Walker|date=9 June 2017|publisher=|via=www.greenvilleonline.com}} He then studied at CCPA (Chicago College of Performing Arts) at Roosevelt University, where he graduated with a Master of Music (Voice Performance) in 2009 after two years.

He joined the apprentice program at Santa Fe Opera for the summer of 2008 where he covered the Bosun in Britten's Billy Budd (an introduction to an opera in which he is now known for playing the title role{{cite web|title=Emerging Barihunk: John Chest|url=http://barihunks.blogspot.com/2009/08/emerging-barihunk-john-chest.html|website=Barihunks|date=20 August 2009 |accessdate=6 July 2018}}). Chest joined the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera in 2009 and there sang Guglielmo in Così fan tutte.{{cite web|author=La Cieca|title=Chest Desserts|url=https://parterre.com/2010/12/01/chest-desserts|website=parterre box|date=December 2010 |accessdate=6 July 2018}} He concluded his formal studies as a member of the professional {{Lang|de|Opernstudio}} at Bavarian State Opera in Munich from 2009 to 2011, singing in more than eighty performances with Germany's largest opera company.{{cite web|title=John Chest Biography|url=https://www.staatsoper.de/biographien/detail-seite/chest-john.html|website=www.staatsoper.de|accessdate=6 August 2018}}

Chest continued to train with the Chicago Opera Theater, in addition to joining the ensemble of Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he remained until 2016. His roles in Berlin included the title role of Billy Budd in a new production by David Alden; Valentin (Faust), Ford (Falstaff), Silvio (Pagliacci), Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), Gugliemo (Così fan tutte) and Il Conte Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro).{{cite web|title=John Chest|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3sykVq08fsPrHCPYGWNnTCr/john-chest|website=BBC Singer of the World|accessdate=5 August 2018}}

A finalist in the BBC Singer of the World Art Song Competition, he has also appeared in recital at the Aix-en-Provence Festival,{{cite web|title=Pictures from American Baritone John Chest's recent Festival d'Aix-en-Provence Recital|url=http://www.bowmanmedia.ca/pictures-american-baritone-john-chests-recent-festival-daix-en-provence-recital/|website=Bowman Media|accessdate=5 August 2018}} the Philharmonie de Paris,{{cite web|title=Maguelone|url=https://philharmoniedeparis.fr/en/activity/recital/17813-maguelone|website=Philharmonie de Paris|date=12 October 2017 |accessdate=5 August 2018}} and Wigmore Hall.{{cite web|title=A Winter Journey with John Chest and Marcelo Amaral at Wigmore Hall|url=https://bachtrack.com/review-winter-journey-chest-amaral-wigmore-hall-london-march-2018|website=Bachtrack|accessdate=5 August 2018}} He has made appearances on three Fauré CD's with pianist Malcolm Martineau.{{cite web|title=Fauré: The Complete Songs Vol. 3|url=https://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/classical/products/8400752--faure-the-complete-songs-vol-38|website=Presto|accessdate=5 August 2018}}

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Category:American operatic baritones

Category:Living people

Category:1985 births

Category:21st-century American opera singers

Category:21st-century American male singers

Category:21st-century American singers