John Bischoff
First Apprentice

John Bischoff, bass, is extremely pleased to appear with Ensemble Parallèle for the first time singing the part of the First Apprentice in Wozzeck. John’s other roles have included William Jennings Bryan in The Ballad of Baby Doe, the Sacristan in Tosca and Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet all with Berkeley Opera; Daland in Der fliegende Holländer with West Bay Opera; Zuniga in Carmen and Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro both with Pacific Repertory Opera; and Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Festival Opera in Walnut Creek. As a concert soloist, John has performed Bach’s Magnificat and Mass in G Major with the Sacramento Choral Society and Haydn’s Creation at California State University in Chico. John was privileged to sing for three years with the acclaimed choral ensemble Chanticleer and he continues to perform with numerous professional choral groups in the Bay Area.

A New Jersey native, John received a Master’s degree in voice at the Manhattan School of Music and graduated with honors from Princeton University with a Bachelor’s degree in English and American Studies. Before devoting himself to a performing career in music, John taught English in Guangzhou, China, and worked as a journalist for Minnesota Public Radio in St. Paul, producing programs for regional and national broadcast and using his voice in a different capacity - as newscaster, reporter and host.