In his work over the past 30 years, John has been teaching singers to use their awareness to unlock their personal power in performance. First John aids the singer in finding the origin of unnecessary physical, mental, or emotional tension that block the body, limit the mind, and impede the breath. John finds creative ways to ground the singer and arms them with a variety of exercises to unlock their access to a stable presence. On the next level John works on technical aspects of breath support and articulation to release what may be impeding the voice, be it jaw, tongue, or body tensions that limit the sense of freedom of expression. Finally he encourages singers to use their imagination and creativity to find authenticity and build a visceral connection to the aria, scene or an entire role.     

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Currently John serves as resident teacher for the Opera Studios of Bayerische Staatsoper, Staatsoper Berlin, Hannover Staatsoper, and Dresden Junges Ensemble, and also serves as guest teacher for Nationaltheater Mannheim, the Atelier de lyrique de l’Opéra de Montreal, and the Bolshoi State Theatre. For over the last decade John has been involved with the Neue Stimmen Foundation where he serves as an advisor for the bi-annual competition and leads workshops for Meisterkurs.

 

In addition to his extensive teaching career, John Norris has directed over 60 opera, musical and theater productions worldwide. Some of his company credits in the U.S. include: American Conservatory Theater, Curtis Institute of Music, Manhattan School of Music and The Young Artist Program of the Metropolitan Opera.