John Riesen first began to make a name for himself as a pitcher. Since then he has gone on to make a name for himself in Opera starring in various roles and performing around the world and for special audiences including President Barack Obama.
This year, in the midst of covid he teamed together with his wife, Gillian (also a professional opera singer) to create a special album entitled, “Christmas at Home.”
Natasha Barbieri: What is your earliest Christmas memory?
John Riesen: When I was younger, my family would get together at my grandparent’s home in the mountains of Brevard, NC. We called it the “Ru-Bob” resort (Grandma Ruth and Grandpa Bob’s home). We all lived scattered across the world (literally, my cousins at one point lived in Egypt), and we would gather together under one roof. I can remember sitting by the fireplace with our siblings and cousins just playing board games. Looking back, that time was so incredibly special to me.
Natasha Barbieri: Can you remember the first carol you performed?
John Riesen: I can. I started singing later than most, having been a high-level baseball player before being a singer. I was encouraged by my grandmother to take voice lessons in high school, and I remember being with all my cousins around Christmas time and being egged on to sing O Holy Night in public. It was always my favorite carol, and I knew it well– so I put my courage together and sang it. It was exhilarating and a fond memory I think of to this day now that my grandmother is no longer with us. It’s one of the many reasons I recorded my own version of O Holy Night on this very album.
Natasha Barbieri: Do you remember the first time you saw each other?
John Riesen: Vividly. We met on the driveway of the resident housing provided by Shreveport Opera in Bossier City, Louisiana. Gillian was unpacking with her parents when I pulled up to the house. Apparently, her mother insisted she go outside and help me move in. It was meant to be! We talked, became fast friends, and also started running together for workouts starting the very next day!
Natasha Barbieri: Were you involved in any concerts or romantic onstage roles?
John Riesen: Absolutely. We’ve sung countless duet concerts together, along with charity events, fundraisers, and galas, and of course have been in many shows together. We’ve even had an opera written for us by a dear friend (the incredibly talented Evan L. Snyder). We started as fiancées in this amazing Sherlock Holmsian murder mystery called “A Capacity for Evil.” It was so fun to not even ACT in love.
Natasha Barbieri: Did you always have a musical chemistry?
John Riesen: Yes. Very much yes. We were trying very hard not to fall in love while working together but the connection we shared was so strong we eventually couldn’t resist. I suppose looking back after being married nearly 4 years with a newborn son, it’s kind of cute how hard we tried to not be together at first. I recall a very particular concert before dating where the host took me aside, after hearing us sing the famous love duet “Stranger in Paradise” from Kismet, to tell me I’d be a, “fool to not pursue what is in your heart for that young woman”!
Natasha Barbieri: Tell us about some of the places you traveled together and what repertoire you were performing.
John Riesen: Most recently, we did a socially distanced duet concert of opera and musical theatre selections for Intermountain Opera Bozeman in Bozeman, Montana, and before that, we did a similar concert in Detroit to raise money for a breast cancer charity named “Shades of Pink”. Before COVID-19 hit we were doing 9-10 duets concerts a year in places like Miami, Fl, Columbus, OH, Saugatuck, MI, Hart, MI, Detroit, MI and many other places. We’ve also had the great pleasure of being cast together in many operas and musical theatre shows like A Little Night Music, Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, Dead Man Walking, Aida, etc! We LOVE singing together, plus we don’t have to be apart!
Natasha Barbieri: Being a musical couple, was music a big part of your wedding?
John Riesen: Yes and no. Believe it or not, neither of us wanted to sing as part of the wedding. We felt that we wanted to leave work at work, and enjoy our special day without feeling a need to perform or “sound good”. HOWEVER, we did pick the performers and music played very carefully and it was SO beautiful. It was a perfect, beautiful day.
Natasha Barbieri: How long have you wanted to put together an album like “Christmas at Home?”
John Riesen: I’ve wanted to make a duet album with Gillian for years. When we first started dating, we were resident artists with Shreveport Opera in Louisiana and would sing love duets constantly. Once we were married, we started performing duet concerts and recitals around the USA and people began encouraging us to make an album together. Christmas music was an obvious choice for us, as it’s one of our favorite times of year, and we have such a passion for the music. We mentioned to several colleagues and mentors the idea of us doing a duet album of Christmas classics and got such an enthusiastic response that we realized it was meant to be.
Natasha Barbieri: How does the planning begin for you. Is it very organized with spreadsheets or more organic sitting at a piano?
John Riesen: I am a big dreamer. For me, it started with the idea that people are in need of a pick-me-up. I then realized the only way I could make an impact right now without the ability to hold an actual performance was to make an album. From there I needed sponsorship. I sent out some feelers to organizations and once Box Five Productions out of metro Detroit showed interest, I jumped immediately to dream repertoire. It took a matter of an hour to have a list of 20 songs I wanted to perform with Gillian and then we narrowed it down to our favorite 11.
Natasha Barbieri: How early on in the process did your accompaniment Neill Campbell get involved?
John Riesen: From the very conception. Last year in October, Neill and I recorded our first album, “What You’d Call a Dream” featuring all musical theatre, opera, and crossover songs that we had performed together around the USA for years. When covid took away the possibility of performing on stage we started brainstorming. As the summer passed by and the sponsorship came for an album, we immediately jumped in on a Christmas classics album. From there, Neill and I started “sketching” out the arrangements, and once we had an idea for the songs Neill took over and actually arranged all the parts including the piano, drums, strings, guitar, jingle bells, and more.
Natasha Barbieri: Tell us a little bit about the production during this lockdown time. There must have been quite a few challenges!
John Riesen: Great question. Thankfully, we were already in a “quarantine bubble” with Neill Campbell and his wife Lindsay, and so we were able to work together side by side for much of the process. However, Chris Glassman (bass trombone) was able to record his solos and harmonies from his home with his own professional-grade equipment! In fact, he improvised ALL of his additions to the album. Mind blowing. Then, with the studio sessions for vocals and piano, we established protocols with Sergei Kvitko (producer of Blue Griffin Recording) where we could all social distance and be separated the whole time. Gillian and I, as a married couple, stayed together but otherwise, we never came in contact with anyone else. It was great teamwork and very safe!
Natasha Barbieri: What do you hope people will take away from this album?
John Riesen: Truly, we hope that this album can remind people that even after such a challenging year, there is joy, hope, and love left in the world. The holidays will likely be different this year for so many, and we wanted to send the message that this “Christmas at Home” can still be special and shared with loved ones.
To continue to follow John visit his official website: www.johnriesen.com
Stream the album now on Apple Music and Spotify
