Tenor John Wesley Wright joined the Salisbury University voice faculty in fall of 2006. Holding degrees from Maryville College and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, John is known for his artistic and soulful interpretations of music from Baroque to Broadway. He has performed a nationally televised concert for the Belgian Royal Family and toured as a soloist and in professional ensembles throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan.

With a host of opera and oratorio roles, art songs, spirituals, and cabaret music in his repertoire, Wright is a member of the acclaimed American Spiritual Ensemble and is highlighted in the recent PBS documentary “The Spirituals: Featuring the American Spiritual Ensemble”, released nationally in 2007. In addition to recording and touring with the American Spiritual Ensemble, Wright’s 2007-2008 season includes appearances with the Dayton Philharmonic (OH) and the Spiritual Renaissance Singers of Greensboro (NC). John also ventures to Osaka and Tokyo, Japan to perform as soloist in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Handel’s Messiah – benefit concerts that support the amnesty efforts of the Japan International Volunteer Center.

John Wright is gold medalist and top prizewinner of the Savannah Music Festival American Traditions Vocal Competition 2000 and has claimed top prizes from the National Federation of Music Clubs, Metropolitan Opera National Council, Bel Canto Regional Artists, Ohio’s Vocal Resource Network Art Song Competition, and the International Schubert Competition in Vienna, Austria.

A native of Rome, Georgia, John is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and is an active vocal consultant, clinician, and leader of workshops on "Singing in the African American Tradition" in schools, churches, and colleges. John also served as Artist-in-Residence at the University of Dayton for eight years and has spent summers as a guest artist, teacher and stage director at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Kentucky Governor’s School and most recently, the Maryland Summer Center for the Arts held at Salisbury University. Students of John Wesley Wright can be found on Broadway tours or the professional operatic stage and have garnered numerous state and national awards and scholarships.
 

FH 240
phone: 410-5436214
Email: jwwright@salisbury.edu

website: www.johnwesleywright.com