Johnathan McCullough

“The top is also the “home” of the fluid ubiquitous character, The Masque, who is sort of like The Man—the guy in power, yet a masquerader. He switches roles from reporter to policeman to judge. Sung and acted superbly by versatile Los Angeles baritone Johnathan McCullough, he seamlessly moves in and out of the various roles, and he descends to the lower level to do his power-hungry jobs.”

-Oregon Artswatch The Central Park Five

“At the center of the film, Mr. McCullough proves gifted as both actor and singer. His dead-eyed expression a chilling contrast to the anguish in his voice and the endless torment caused by the experience of war that the audience, thanks to his directorial skills, can feel too.”

-The Wall Street Journal Soldier Songs

“Still in his late 20s, McCullough emerged from the Curtis Institute as a promising vocal talent (heard in 2019 in Opera Philadelphia’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Far more significant, though, is his fearless theatrical vision.”

-The Philadelphia Inquirer Soldier Songs

“To my eye, this production of “Soldier Songs” ranks with some of the best vintage work in filmed opera. (Some exemplary models include the Vienna Philharmonic’s “Salome,” starring Teresa Stratas, and the Hamburg State Opera’s “Wozzeck,” starring Toni Blankenheim.)”

-The New York Times Soldier Songs

“ When opera and cinema are combined with this much sense of detail and commitment, they feel inseparable. “Soldier Songs” will no doubt live on in other live incarnations, but this film might prove its most memorable manifestation, the one all others reference.”

-Operawire Soldier Songs

“McCullough’s arresting adaptation…vividly amplifies and extends the impact of Little’s words and music.”

-The New Yorker Soldier Songs

“The company’s latest release is a modern piece that could easily be sold as a rock opera or concept album, combining sometimes discordant, minimalist music composed by David T. Little in 2006 with a stellar performance from shaggy, bearded Johnathan McCullough, who also directs. The baritone’s vocal range is impressive, as is its power, which is wholly appropriate given such dark and violent themes and boy can he act.”

-British Theatre Guide Soldier Songs

McCullough’s baritone, lyrical but firm, suits the score and its dramatic complexity. [His] large, expressive eyes hint at tension roiling beneath the surface. Perhaps most impressively, he never comes across like a stage performer awkwardly dropped into an unfamiliar medium. His performance is perfectly scaled to the small screen.”

-Bachtrack Soldier Songs

“Curtis grad McCullough—indomitably expressive, continually focused, and deeply moving—sang live during filming to a recorded track of an Opera Philadelphia orchestra septet (conducted by Corrado Rovaris). Impressively, McCullough also directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with James Darrah, a producer (with John Toia) of this disturbingly luminous film.”

-Broadstreet Review Soldier Songs

“ [Soldier Songs] features a sole singer-actor, the extraordinary Johnathan McCullough—with the scale, grandeur and theatricality the medium can deliver. It’s a gut-punch metaphor that echoes throughout Soldier Songs. Within minutes, though, he emerges as vulnerably, heartbreakingly mortal.”

-Parterre Box Soldier Songs

“The American baritone Johnathan McCullough is virtually a singing Jim Carrey as the constantly outwitted Count, his face and body forever twisting in nine different directions at once.”

The Times The Marriage of Figaro

“The Count, Johnathan McCullough was a strong portrayal, his final ‘Contessa, pardono’ infinitely touching.”

Seen and Heard The Marriage of Figaro

“Count Almaviva played by Johnathan McCullough was jealous, lascivious and yet sensitive.  Excellent acting and singing – Crudel! perchè finora with Susanna was particularly well sung.”

London Unattached The Marriage of Figaro

“Johnathan McCullough was ideally cast as Count Almaviva”

The Guardian The Marriage of Figaro

“His rendition carried firm, rich tones while displaying a soft, flexible touch. [Fleming] praised him for his ‘courage and sustained vulnerability.’”

Opera Wire Renée Fleming’s Carnegie Hall Song studio Master Class

“This strong, poignant selection opened as a blue light gradually strengthened over McCullough, breaking the darkness as he opened with a crushed sentiment that captured the grief of losing a son to war. This grieving quality was also achieved through the almost scornful bite McCullough used for his phrases which deliberately clipped off as he was unable to complete the idea. This despair reached a gripping depth as he futilely repeated “Bring me back my son” with a shifting nuance that simply ached with loss. This song ended slowly, as the fading blue spotlight fell over an empty pair of combat boots placed off to the side of the stage as the image slipped into darkness.”

Opera Wire: Soldier Songs excerpt from Renée Fleming’s Carnegie Hall Song studio

“First up was McCullough, singing “Oh Vin, dissipe la tristesse,” from Thomas’ “Hamlet.” With much of the program focused on the higher voices, McCullough’s richer timbre stood out all the more, along with his resolute bearing. The dark vamp of Pennington’s accompaniment saw McCullough deliver brooding phrases on one side of the stage before dismissively walking away, looking back at the spot with a pained grin that finely conveyed his desire to leave those thoughts behind. McCullough displayed lower coloratura that saw reflection as the accompaniment flowed into a series of arpeggios, leading into a strong, bold conclusion.”

Opera Wire Carnegie Hall Concert

“Puppeteering the entire production was Johnathan McCullough as the titular Figaro. Articulating quickly and jubilantly through “Largo al Factotum,” McCullough demonstrated his prowess by precisely hitting each syllable in the patter, until exuberantly reaching the famous repetition of his own name and projecting it loudly to the impressed masses. Demonstrating his versatility, McCullough glided easily between Figaro’s trademark self-important air while also ornamenting his performance with individualized moments of comedy, such as creating explosive body movements at the prospect of gold in “All’idea di quel metalle” or motioning largely and insistently for his smitten friends to make their escape from a precarious situation.”

MD Theatre Guide: Il barbiere di Siviglia

“In the titular role of Figaro, Johnathan McCullough commanded the stage like a matador, wielding his rich baritone with ease as he plotted the way for Count Almaviva to free Rosina from her unsuitable suitor Bartolo.”

The Washington Post: Il barbiere di Siviglia

“The Figaro of baritone Johnathan McCullough came alive with snappy comic timing and vocal strength.”

Washington Classical Review: Il barbiere di Siviglia

"Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer (Baritone Johnathan McCullough) claws his way across the cement disc, as Adams’ themes heat up with orchestral chaos and Oppenheimer writhes out of his orange hazmat suit, like a snake shedding its skin...As propulsive as Adams score is, the intimate scene between Oppenheimer and his wife Kitty, couldn’t be more dynamically tender. McCullough and mezzo-soprano Siena Licht Miller have instant vocal chemistry...Oppenheimer returns with 40s crystal microphone and delivers the opera’s shattering aria “Batter my Heart” (Three person’d God). McCullough’s voice just continues to bloom in passionate tones. It caps off his altogether mesmerizing performance."

Huffington Post: Doctor Atomic 

"He called the test site Trinity, based on Donne’s sonnet “Batter my heart, three-person’d God.” Its words are used in a great dramatic aria that closes the first act. McCullough sang it passionately, accompanied by pounding rhythmic chords from the orchestra....As McCullough sang, he leapt upward, as if grasping for an understanding of the universe. At other times he twisted and somersaulted, demonstrating his conflicted emotions.

Broad Street Review: Doctor Atomic

“A baritone of solid accomplishment”

Opera Today: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

“Brenton Ryan (Lysander) and Johnathan McCullough (Demetrius) were hilarious as their bewitched swains”

The Wall Street Journal: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

"Characterizations manifested themselves vocally with great depth in Johnathan McCullough’s portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Evan LeRoy Johnson as Robert Wilson, and Siena Licht Miller as Kitty Oppenheimer."

Philadelphia Inquirer: Doctor Atomic

'“Johnathan McCullough, a baritone, accompanied some of the numbers on guitar, singing out ringing and earnest versions of Paul Simon’s “America” and Paul McCartney’s “Blackbird” and “Wild Honey Pie” with the tenor Nicholas Nestorak and others.”

The Washington Post: Wolf Trap Opera Concert

"McCullough was truly brave. He committed fully to this extreme physicality even though he had an enormous amount to sing. He has a fine middle weight baritone and, remarkably, managed focused tone and clear diction."

Parterre Box: Doctor Atomic

" R.B. Schlather went on to explain,...'I worked collaboratively with all the performers to get out of them the kind of movement I felt expressed the emotional life of these people in space.' This was most evident in the performance by Jonathan McCullough who brilliantly played the character of Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer. The opening of Doctor Atomic featured a purely movement based scene in which McCullough seemed to blend modern dance with a bit of Horton technique, and then thrown in for good measure an occasional breaking and hip hop move as seen with the shoulder stand in the photo accompanying this article. With out the utterance of a single operatic note, we are witness to the political and moral quandary faced by Oppenheimer upon which composer, John Adams set his score with libretto by Peter Sellars.  The sequence of repeated movements, broken by the frenetic energy of McCullough gave us brief but poignant insights into the fear of acquiring such God-like and destructive power."

The Dance Journal: Doctor Atomic

"Baritone Johnathan McCullough and bass-baritone Thomas Shivone handle the rapid changes with ease, and they also sing with tremendous clarity and radiant sound. McCullough's physical changes for each character are one of the most entertaining aspects of the night."

Schmopera: Elizabeth Cree

"Johnathan McCullough (Mr. Greatorext, George Gissing, and Etcher) offered a baritone of solid accomplishment."

Opera Today: Elizabeth Cree

"Mr. McCullough sang and acted Harlequin, the most prominent of Zerbinetta's gaggle of boys, quite well, with a lovely sound and a great sense of humor."

www.bachtrack.com: Ariadne auf Naxos  

"...Opera Philadelphia emerging artist Johnathan McCullough steals scenes as Moralès.

Broad Street Review: Carmen

"Johnathan McCullough was a lively, rich-voiced Morales."

Parterre Box: Carmen

"Baritone soloist Johnathan McCullough gave operatic performances in his many solos, bringing a warm tone and dramatic presence to each one - particularly the sardonic "I am the Abbot," and "Day, night and everything,'"

The Reading Eagle: Carmina Burana 

"Johnathan McCullough (Belcore) sounded like a Wagnerite in training."

Philadelphia Inquirer: The Elixir of Love

Click the link below to read Johnathan's "overtones" Magazine feature article.