American Tenor Joseph Dennis brings “considerable tonal warmth, seemingly effortless power and abundant technical refinement ” (Opera News) to the opera world as one of the most exciting tenor voices performing on the international opera stage today. He first gained international attention in the summer of 2014, when he stepped into the title role at short notice in Huang Ruo’s opera Dr. Sun Yat-sen (American premiere, Santa Fe Opera), singing the complete role in Mandarin Chinese, and to great acclaim.
Since 2018 Mr. Dennis has been a member of the soloist ensemble at the famed Semperoper in Dresden Germany where he has performed many roles including his signature role of Tamino in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Lensky in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos, Steuermann in Der Fliegende Holländer, Pylades in Iphigenie aus Tauris, Ferrando in Cosi fan Tutte, as well as Jacquino in Fidelio. In the upcoming 2021-22 season at the Semperoper he will add the roles of Baron Kronthal from Der Wildschütz, Ivan from The Nose, and Walther from Tannhäuser. He can also be seen performing the roles of Count Almaviva from Il barbiere di Sivigla at the Gärtnerplatz Theater in Munich Germany, Alfredo from La Traviata at the Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, and a new production of Die Zauberflöte at the North Carolina Opera.
Mr. Dennis’s engagements in the 2017-18 season included his debuts as Alfredo in La Traviata at the Memphis Opera, as the Duke in Rigoletto at North Carolina Opera, as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Virginia Opera, and as the Governor in Candide with the Warsaw Philharmonic. He finished the season as Tamino in The Magic Flute with Central City Opera.
Previously as a member of the soloist ensemble of the Vienna State Opera, Mr. Dennis performed the roles of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, the Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier, Nick in La Fanciulla del West, Jacquino in Fidelio, Brighella in Ariadne Auf Naxos, Hugo in Lortzing’s Undine, and covered many other roles including Alfredo in La Traviata, Werther, and Ernesto in Don Pasquale.
A winner of the 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Mr. Dennis’s other engagements in the United States have included Boris in the Seattle Opera's production of Katya Kabanova, his return to Des Moines Metro Opera as Des Grieux in their Emmy award-winning production of Manon, following his successful 2015 debut with the company as Števa in Jenůfa, and his debut at the Spoleto Festival USA where Mr. Dennis performed his second opera in Mandarin Chinese as the role of Male Soloist #2 in the world premiere of Huang Ruo’s Paradise Interrupted.
On the concert stage, Mr. Dennis has performed recitals at the Wiener Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, Musik aus Dresden in Birkenfeld Germany. His performances include Mozart’s Requiem and Krönungsmesse with New York’s Church of the Ascension, Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ.
A native of Texas, Joseph studied at the famous Juilliard School in their exclusive Artist Diploma in Opera Studies program, setting himself apart as a skilled singer with a deep commitment to acting. In addition to the Metropolitan Opera Competition, he is the recipient of many awards, including a top prize in the 2014 Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition.