Legends in the Limelight

About the Legends

Tenor John Pickle is an established and versatile force on the operatic and concert stage. His unique vocal quality lends itself to a wide variety of repertoire in the tenor catalogue. From a recent performance of Don José in Carmen with Toledo Opera, the Toledo Blade wrote “Pickle’s ability to crank out a high Bb’s pianissimo is the stuff of which Metropolitan dreams are made. His third act tribute to his dying mother is artistically moving to the point of drawing tears.” and Opera News noted that “John Pickle possibly won the vocal laurels as Alfred, but then Alfred gets to show off the most. Pickle’s gleaming tenor registered charmingly in his interpolated snatches of various arias…” in a production of Die Fledermaus with Florentine Opera.

This season, John has appeared in concert with Knoxville Opera to honor the life and legacy of Robert Lyall. This concert subsequently aired on PBS. Additionally, he appeared with Maryland Opera for a concert of operatic hits, and again for an evening that included the last acts of Madama Butterfly, Manon Lescaut, and La bohème.

During the 2023/24 season Pickle performed Calaf in Turandot with Opera Delaware, Mozart’s Requiem with Canton Symphony, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Akron Symphony, as well as concerts of operatic hits with Maryland Opera and Pittsburgh Festival Opera.

The 2021, 22, and 23 seasons included appearances as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana with Opera Colorado, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Hawaii Opera Theatre, Don José in Carmen with Pacific Opera Victoria and Painted Sky Opera, a concert of opera’s greatest hits entitled Ritorna Vincitor! with Maryland Opera, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Canton Symphony, and Mozart’s Requiem with Pacific Symphony.

Engagements from recent seasons include Canio in Pagliacci with Opera Colorado, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Memphis, Dayton Opera, and Opera Delaware; Erik in Der fliegende Holländer with Los Angeles Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Lyric Opera Kansas City, Mobile Opera, and Utah Festival Opera; Cavaradossi in Tosca with Nashville Opera, Intermountain Opera Bozeman, Opera Southwest, Tri-Cities Opera, Opera Fort Collins, and Townsend Opera; Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly at Pacific Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, Cleveland Opera Theater, and Dayton Opera; Don José in Carmen with Opera Tampa, Nevada Opera, and Opera Louisianne; Pollione in Norma with Lyric Opera Chicago (cv), Opera Company Philadelphia (cv), and Opera Southwest; Radamés in Aïda with Dayton Opera; Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera with Opera Tampa; Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana with Opera Delaware, and Opera Fort Collins; Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut, and Calaf in Turandot with Mobile Opera; Manrico in Il trovatore with Intermountain Opera Bozeman; Judge Danforth in The Crucible with Utah Festival Opera; and Rodolfo in La bohème with Colorado Symphony, Opera Southwest, Nevada Opera, and  Baltimore Concert Opera. Of a performance as Rodolfo, critics raved: “John Pickle brings a resilient, wonderfully placed sound and a sensitive musicality to Rodolfo that embraces each nuance of this rich score with an enviable mix of delicacy and strength.”

Mr. Pickle has also excelled in concert appearances throughout the country. He made his Houston Symphony début as the tenor soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, of which Culture Map Houston declared, “As for the men, tenor John Pickle’s lyrical dominance reverberated courtesy of his clear musical vision and intensifying pacing.”

Additional concert engagements in recent seasons have included Verdi’s Requiem with Dayton Philharmonic, Mississippi Symphony, Akron Symphony, Opera Grand Rapids, Baton Rouge Symphony, and DCINY at Carnegie Hall; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Dayton Philharmonic, Springfield Symphony, The Orchestra Now, Lima Symphony, Long Bay Symphony, and National Chorale; Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with Dayton Philharmonic; Beethoven’s Missa solemnis with Utah Festival Opera; Kodaly’s Te Deum with Oregon Music Festival, Eugene Suchon’s Psalm of the Carpathian Land with Sonomento and Kenwood Symphonies; and operatic greatest hits concerts with Florentine Opera, Santa Barbara Symphony, Lyric Opera of Virginia, Northwest Arkansas Symphony, Mobile Opera, Intermountain Opera Bozeman, Opera Idaho and the Boise Philharmonic; and St. Bart’s Music Festival.

He made his Carnegie Hall début in 2008 performing Schubert’s Mass in G Major and Mozart’s Requiem conducted by John Rutter, and performed Mozart’s Requiem in the famed hall again in 2012.

Additionally, he performed Beethoven’s Mass in C Major with New Jersey Choral Society; Gabriello & Un Cantore in Giordano’s rarely performed La cena delle beffe with Teatro Grattacielo in Alice Tully Hall; and Victor Herbert’s 150th Birthday Celebration with Little Orchestra Society.

James Lesniak, pianist has been Associate Coach/Pianist with Pittsburgh Opera since 2006 and also made his conducting debut in 2017 with Pittsburgh Opera’s production of composer Laura Kaminsky’s As One, and conducted Pittsburgh Opera’s productions of Glory Denied, The Rose Elf, and most recently, Proving Up. He has been an official pianist for the Metropolitan Opera Laffont National Council Auditions. For the summer months, he frequently returns to the music staff of the prestigious Santa Fe Opera, where he has served as Musical Director for their Winter Concert Tour and was on the music staff for the Grammy Award winning production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.