New York City born tenor, Jonathan Winell, is known for his impressive artistry, beautiful tone and easy, thrilling top. Beginning to make his mark on the operatic stage, he recently had his Lincoln Center debut at Avery Fisher Hall as Baroncelli in Wagner’s Rienzi with The Opera Orchestra of New York under the baton of Eve Queler. In late 2011, he appeared as Alméric in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta with the Dicapo Opera Theatre
As an Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera in 2011, Mr. Winell covered Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and performed as Le Journaliste in Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias and Léon in Pasatieri’s Signor Deluso. In 2010, he covered and performed Ernesto in Don Pasquale as a Studio Artist with Opera New Jersey. He also appeared in the Opera New Jersey Concert Series on numerous occasions throughout 2010-11. He was Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with New York Lyric Opera in 2010, and Percy in Anna Bolena at the Academy of Vocal Arts in 2008. He appeared as Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles with the Connecticut Concert Opera in 2007 and participated in several opera concerts with the CCO. He also performed the roles of Camille in The Merry Widow and The Duke in Rigoletto, both at the Hartt School of Music.
Mr. Winell traveled to Florence, Italy for three summers to study Italian at La Scuola Leonardo da Vinci. While there, he attended the Florence Voice Seminar for two summers at the invitation of Benita Valente, Director, as well as the Bel Canto Institute, under the direction of Jane Klaviter, Founder and Artistic Director. At the Institute, he was awarded a two-concert singing engagement with the Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Lou Kosma.
An award-winning tenor, he received grants from the Giulio Gari Foundation and the Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Foundation/Arturo Coppola Memorial Award. In 2011, he was an Eastern Region Finalist at the Met National Council Auditions. He has also placed in a number of competitions including third in the Gerda Lissner Competition in 2010 and 2011; fourth in Il Comitato Amici del Loggiato, La Spezia, Italy in 2009; and fifth in the Queens Opera Association Vocal Competition in 2007.
Mr. Winell began his vocal studies in 2002, with dramatic soprano, Doris Jung Popper, with whom he continues to work. In 2007, he graduated from the Hartt School of Music and during the 2008-09 season was an Artist in Residence at the Academy of Vocal Arts. In 2010, he returned to New York City to study with the world-renowned voice teacher, Patricia McCaffrey. Over the years he has worked with many great coaches and conductors, among them Jane Klaviter and Bob Morrison of the Metropolitan Opera, Kathy Olsen, Laurent Philippe, Christofer Macatsoris, John Moriarty and Eve Queler.