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John Ken Nuzzo

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John Ken Nuzzo
Born (1966-05-05) 5 May 1966 (age 58)
 Japan Tokyo
OccupationSinger (tenor)
WebsiteJohn Ken Nuzzo Official Website

John Ken Nuzzo (Japanese: ジョン・健・ヌッツォ; born 5 May 1966) is an American tenor of Japanese origin.[1]

Biography

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Nuzzo was born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and an American father. While in seventh grade, Nuzzo was an extra in La Scala's production of Verdi's Otello, sharing the stage with Placido Domingo while in his prime. He attended an international high school where Don Campbell urged him to join the Boy's Chorus. He recalls it was a fact: "...[that] I didn't like. But it grew on me." He moved to the United States and attended Chapman University in California initially as a business major. His third year had him thinking about singing as a career[2] and he made his debut in Bach's B minor Mass with the Master Chorale of Orange County, which was highly acclaimed in the Los Angeles Times. He performed with Tony Bennett and Shirley Jones as a member of the "Californians".

In 1997, he won first prize in the Japan Vocal Competition. Nuzzo won the Japan round of the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition Wien to sing with the Vienna State Opera in 1998.[2] He signed a contract with the Vienna State Opera and debuted in 2000. He was highly acclaimed by Beuhne Wien for the role of Novice in Britten's Billy Budd the same year.

In 2001, he was awarded the Eberhard Waechter Medal. His performance in Vienna was introduced by the Japanese TV documentary program Jonetsu Tairiku.

In 2002, he made his Salzburg Festival debut as Syphax in Zemlinsky's King Kandaules under the baton of Kent Nagano. He was invited to sing in NHK's "Red and White Song Battle", Japan's longest-running New Year's Eve television concert, spreading his fame throughout Japan overnight. He sang the tenor solo in Berlioz's Requiem with the NHK Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Charles Dutoit. The following year he was awarded the Idemitsu Music Award in Japan. He debuted with the Metropolitan Opera under the baton of James Levine and then with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in the concert version of Fidelio under the baton of James Levine.

In 2004, he sang the theme song of NHK’s historical drama series Shinsengumi. He made his second appearance on NHK’s Red and White Song Battle.

In 2006, he joined TO LIVE 2006 "Children Fighting Cancer Charity Concert", performing with Milva. The following year, he sang Rinuccio in Gianni Schicci at the Metropolitan Opera. He made his Pittsburgh Opera debut as Nemorino in Donizetti's L’Elisir d’Amore.

In 2008, he played Rossillon in Lehár's The Merry Widow produced by Yutaka Sado.

In 2011, he sang in Puccini's La Bohème at Anchorage Opera house. In March of the same year, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Japan. Nuzzo was drafted by TV stations to provide voice recordings for transit systems in light of the disaster. Nuzzo continued to travel Japan for the months that followed, giving planned and impromptu concerts and singings. Later, he remarked: "I was really glad I'm a singer, because I was able to go to many places and just sing, as long as there was a piano."[2]

Awards

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  • 1985 - A’litalia International Singing Competition, 2nd place.
  • 1992 - Los Angeles Young Artists Vocal Competition, 1st place; Los Angeles Opera Guild Competition, 1st place
  • Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition, 3rd place; Pasadena Opera Guild Competition, 1st place; Riverside Opera Guild Competition, 1st place.
  • Whittier Chorus Competition, 2nd place; Opera 100 Competition, 1st place; S.A.I. Vocal Competition, 1st place; Orange County Musical Arts Competition, 1st Place.
  • 1993 - NATS "Los Angeles Artist of the Year"
  • 1997 - Japan Vocal Competition, 1st place.
  • 1998 - International Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition Japan, Winner.
  • 2001 - Eberhard Waechter Gesangsmedailen Austria 2001, Winner.
  • 2003 - Japan Idemitsu Music Award 2003, Winner[3]

Discography (CD)

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  • Franz Schubert: 11 selected songs from “Die schöne Müllerin, Op.25, D.795” - Fontec
  • NUZZO meets PUCCINI - Fontec
  • Rare Live Track 2020 - Fontec
  • BEETHOVEN×SCHUBERT - Fontec
  • Serenata(Italian Art Songs) -Fontec
  • “DICHTERLIEBE Op.48” -Fontec
  • NUZZO JAZZ _
  • Italian Aria - Fontec
  • Tenorissimo - Universal Classics & Jazz
  • NHK Taiga Historical Drama Shinsengumi! Original Soundtrack- Universal Classics & Jazz
  • Treasure Voice - Universal Classics & Jazz
  • Petr Turrini/Friedrich Cerha [Der Riese Vom Stenfeld]- ORF
  • Zemlinsky [DER KONIG KANDAULES] Salzburg Festival 2002 -Andante
  • Benjamin Britten [Billy Budd] - Orfeo d'or

Discography (DVD)

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  • Shigaki Saegusa [KAMIKAZE] - Sony Music Japan International
  • Giuseppe Verdi [SIMON BOCCANEGRA] - ORF

References

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  1. ^ "BIOGRAPHY". John Ken Nuzzo Official Website. Retrieved 13 November 2022. John Ken Nuzzo is an American tenor from Tokyo, Japan
  2. ^ a b c Histand, Ben (10 May 2012). "John Ken Nuzzo - tenor time". The Anchorage Press. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  3. ^ "出光音楽賞歴代受賞者". Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
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