Dr. John Moir, basso, (M.Mus. Voice and Literature, Eastman; DMA Voice Performance and Literature, Shenandoah), has sung professionally since he was a student in college. Joining the San Diego Opera Chorus while an undergraduate, John sang in over 60 operas as chorister, comprimario, and finally member of the San Diego Opera Center under Tito Capobianco. Dr. Moir also helped found and was one of the stalwarts for the San Diego Gilbert & Sullivan/Comic Opera company, where he was fortunate to have worked with three D’Oyly Carte veterans, who praised his large voice and ‘impeccable comic timing,’ in roles spanning the G&S canon.
Upon moving to Minnesota, John-Scott appeared as soloist with: St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Dakota Valley Symphony, Minnesota Center Chorale, & Lyra Consort; spanning works from Bach and Haydn to Verdi and Weill. Dr. Moir has also been soloist with Opera Pacific, Pacific Chamber Opera, Santa Barbara Civic Opera, Akron Opera, and as a Guest Artist with the University of Cincinnati’s Opera Lucca (Italy) program under the late Fulbright scholar, Sig. Lorenzo Malfatti.
Dr. Moir formed and was Founding Artistic Director for a decade with the Twin Cities semi-professional chorus, “CORO!” – a ‘stand-alone opera chorus’ whose varied and innovative programs all in original languages spanned the gamut. Programs included selections such as: Wagner and the German Romantics (Rienzi, Walküre, Dutchman), a Viennese ‘Opernball’ (Strauss, Léhar, Suppé), an all-English Opera Celebration (Gilbert & Sullivan, Purcell, Argento, & Britten), as well as a Slavic Tapestry (Moniuszko, Tchaikovsky, Smetana, Dvorak, and Mussorgsky), and a Verdi Bicentennial.
John also did CORO! recital programs of forgotten vocal gems (Lehmann’s ‘In a Persian Garden’). Because of Dr. Moir’s direction, CORO! joined forces on a number of occasions, performing with orchestras such as Minnesota Sinfonia and Dakota Valley Symphony. CORO! was the chorus of choice for local productions of Zauberflöte; Ballo in Maschera; Cav/Pag & I Puritani, the latter with Minnesota Concert Opera.
Dr. Moir’s operatic roles include Colline, Ramfis, Angelotti, Leporello, Figaro/ Nozze di Figaro, Pooh-Bah & Mikado in the Mikado, Frank in Fledermaus, Dr. Grenvil/Traviata, Collatinus/Rape of Lucretia; Ferrando/Trovatore, and Balthazar in Amahl; as well as concert/oratorio work- Mozart Requiem, Beethoven 9th Symphony, Elijah, and the bass solos in the Verdi Requiem. John is equally adept with performing in musicals, in roles such as Cervantes/Man of La Mancha; King Arthur/Camelot; Harold Hill/Music Man; El Gallo/Fantasticks; and Henry Higgins/My Fair Lady.
Dr. Moir has taught at a number of universities, including Kent State, Crown College, University of Northwestern, University of Minnesota, and served as Co-chair of the Music Department of Bluefield University in southwest Virginia. John-Scott has been interviewed for Iowa Public Television, Minnesota Public Radio, WVVA-TV (NBC Affiliate) and West Virginia Public Radio. Dr. Moir’s family are all involved in music.