Jacob Soulliere, baritone, is an award-winning young opera singer with
goals to be a full-time performer at the Metropolitan Opera. Jacob began his early singing as a member of the Phoenix Boys Choir. Since then Jacob has been singing and performing classical music and oratorios as well as understudying operas with well- known people including Vance George, Z. Randall Stroope, Bob Chilcott, Mikael Eliasen and Metropolitan Opera star, Vernon Hartman. Jacob currently studies voice with mezzo soprano, Mary Sue Hyatt, who formerly served as "Professor of voice" at Kent State University. In addition to studying voice with Ms. Hyatt, Jacob coaches opera with Henri Venanzi, who serves as the "Chorus Master" for the Arizona Opera and Cincinnati Opera. Recently, Soulliere was one of few finalists accepted for a live audition at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A school with a 4% acceptance rate. Lower than Harvard and Yale University. Notable alumnus’s include Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Lang Lang and current Metropolitan Opera stars Juan Diego Flórez and Eric Owens. Singing a choral solo at the renowned stage of Carnegie Hall, to being invited to sing at the White House as a singer/soloist. Jacob has great potential becoming one of the finest young singers in the southwest.
goals to be a full-time performer at the Metropolitan Opera. Jacob began his early singing as a member of the Phoenix Boys Choir. Since then Jacob has been singing and performing classical music and oratorios as well as understudying operas with well- known people including Vance George, Z. Randall Stroope, Bob Chilcott, Mikael Eliasen and Metropolitan Opera star, Vernon Hartman. Jacob currently studies voice with mezzo soprano, Mary Sue Hyatt, who formerly served as "Professor of voice" at Kent State University. In addition to studying voice with Ms. Hyatt, Jacob coaches opera with Henri Venanzi, who serves as the "Chorus Master" for the Arizona Opera and Cincinnati Opera. Recently, Soulliere was one of few finalists accepted for a live audition at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A school with a 4% acceptance rate. Lower than Harvard and Yale University. Notable alumnus’s include Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, Lang Lang and current Metropolitan Opera stars Juan Diego Flórez and Eric Owens. Singing a choral solo at the renowned stage of Carnegie Hall, to being invited to sing at the White House as a singer/soloist. Jacob has great potential becoming one of the finest young singers in the southwest.
Last Updated 05/22/2020**
Early Life
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Soulliere began his early choral singing as a member of the Phoenix Boys Choir under the direction of Georg Stangelberger. Since then Jacob has been singing and performing classical music and oratorios as well as understudying operas. Soulliere has performed at numerous venues around the valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona including the Tempe center for the Arts and the Herberger Theater. Being selected to sing at the White House, to singing at Carnegie Hall in New York, Jacob is arguably one of the finest young singers in the southwest. In December of 2016 Jacob was selected to perform with the newly formed Messiah Chorus in the production of Handel's Messiah under the direction of 4- time Grammy winner Vance George formerly director of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. At this time the young Baritone had the opportunity to coach with the maestro who was very encouraging towards his operatic goals. In March of 2017 Jacob was asked by American composer, conductor, and lecturer, Z. Randall Stroope to sing the written solo in the choral piece. "Soldier Soldier Won't You Marry Me?” under the direction of the Maestro at the renowned stern auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Making Jacob one of the youngest male classical/operatic singers to sing a solo in a choral piece at Carnegie Hall. In October of 2017 Jacob had the privilege to sing parts of Raphael in Haydn's The Creation with the orchestra and concertmaster from the Phoenix Symphony, Steven Moeckel. This oratorio was under the direction of the Saint Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church Director of Music Ministries, Paul Lee, who invited Mr. Soulliere to participate as choral singer and soloist of the Concerts on the Desert performance series. In December of 2017 Jacob was invited by former Director of Opera of Music at Kent State University John Sikora to sing a very special interpretation of Handel's Messiah in Ohio, presented by the Galion Community Chorus. While in Ohio Jacob had the privilege to coach with not only Mr. Sikora but also with two decade performer at the Metropolitan Opera, Vernon Hartman. Jacob has also worked with Bob Chilcott, Ludwig Wicki and coached with Dale Dreyfoos and many more.
Soulliere began his early choral singing as a member of the Phoenix Boys Choir under the direction of Georg Stangelberger. Since then Jacob has been singing and performing classical music and oratorios as well as understudying operas. Soulliere has performed at numerous venues around the valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona including the Tempe center for the Arts and the Herberger Theater. Being selected to sing at the White House, to singing at Carnegie Hall in New York, Jacob is arguably one of the finest young singers in the southwest. In December of 2016 Jacob was selected to perform with the newly formed Messiah Chorus in the production of Handel's Messiah under the direction of 4- time Grammy winner Vance George formerly director of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. At this time the young Baritone had the opportunity to coach with the maestro who was very encouraging towards his operatic goals. In March of 2017 Jacob was asked by American composer, conductor, and lecturer, Z. Randall Stroope to sing the written solo in the choral piece. "Soldier Soldier Won't You Marry Me?” under the direction of the Maestro at the renowned stern auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Making Jacob one of the youngest male classical/operatic singers to sing a solo in a choral piece at Carnegie Hall. In October of 2017 Jacob had the privilege to sing parts of Raphael in Haydn's The Creation with the orchestra and concertmaster from the Phoenix Symphony, Steven Moeckel. This oratorio was under the direction of the Saint Barnabas on the Desert Episcopal Church Director of Music Ministries, Paul Lee, who invited Mr. Soulliere to participate as choral singer and soloist of the Concerts on the Desert performance series. In December of 2017 Jacob was invited by former Director of Opera of Music at Kent State University John Sikora to sing a very special interpretation of Handel's Messiah in Ohio, presented by the Galion Community Chorus. While in Ohio Jacob had the privilege to coach with not only Mr. Sikora but also with two decade performer at the Metropolitan Opera, Vernon Hartman. Jacob has also worked with Bob Chilcott, Ludwig Wicki and coached with Dale Dreyfoos and many more.
Current Activities
Soulliere participates as a choir member and as a soloist at Christ the Lord Lutheran Church in Carefree, Arizona. Jacob is a chorister of The Arizona Opera Chorus and much more. Jacob enjoys bowling and golfing when he is away from studying his current music repertoire.
Awards
Soulliere has received numerous awards and recognition's such as being named "one of Arizona's finest young musicians" from the renowned Music Director of Arizona Musicfest, Robert Moody. Out of the 15 chosen musicians, Jacob was the only vocalist selected to perform at the Musical Instrument Museum in 2016. In 2017 & 2018, Jacob placed 1st two consecutive years in the Cheryl Siebs Memorial Vocal Competition . Jacob received the $500 scholarship and performed as the featured soloist at the Desert Hills Presbyterian Church as a part of the award. Jacob was later asked by the Music Director Margaret Watson, to be a featured soloist in their 2017 and 2018 spring show where the young baritone would perform around the valley of cave creek singing well-known music. Most recently, Jacob received an encouragement award from The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (Arizona District). Mr. Soulliere was the youngest singer awarded.
