|
"Impressive Bass Johnnie Bankens makes his Nevada Opera debut as Colline. He scores solid marks for his exquisite singing of Colline’s famous Act IV ‘coat’ aria.”
-Reno Gazette- |
Johnnie Bankens, bass, is known for bringing "high caliber" performances to opera and musical theatre audiences around the US and abroad. Recent engagements include Die Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte (Opera Mississippi & Natchez Festival of Music), Sparafucile in Rigoletto (Mobile Opera), Bass Soloist in J. S. Bach's Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn (Monroe Symphony), Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni (Guest Faculty Artist at FIO-Italia), & Bluebeard in A Kékszakállú herceg vára (Salvage Arts). In the 2025-2026 season, Bankens will perform The King in The Christmas Gift by James Sclater with Opera Mississippi, Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Shreveport Opera, and Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with Mobile Opera.
Bankens has performed leading and secondary roles in the United States, Italy, and San Marino. In 2016, he made his San Diego Opera debut as the Jailer in Tosca alongside Greer Grimsley, Gwynne Hughes Jones, and Alexia Volgaridou. Other roles include Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni, Falstaff in Falstaff, Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin, Colline in La bohème, Don Annibale Pistacchio in Il campanello by Donizetti, Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette, Uncle in Elizabeth Cree by Kevin Puts, Fredrik Egerman in A Little Night Music, Junius in The Rape of Lucretia, Bob Beckett in HMS Pinafore, The Inn-keeper in The Man of La Mancha, and Orin Scrivello, DDS in Little Shop of Horrors.
Bankens has made professional solo appearances with San Diego Opera, Mobile Opera, Nevada Opera, Opéra Louisiane, Opera Mississippi, Natchez Festival of Music, Blue Lake Opera, The Montefeltro Festival, Starkville Symphony, Monroe Symphony, West End Collegiate Singers, Salvage Arts, Symphony Chorus of New Orleans, The Stonewall Chorale, Lied Society of Minneapolis, and Louisiana Choral Foundation. Bankens has been the Bass Soloist for a number of great masterworks. His favorites include Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Mozart’s Requiem, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, Handel’s Messiah, and Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio.
Bankens is an active educator with over twenty years of teaching experience as a voice instructor. He is an Assistant Professor of Voice at Southeastern Louisiana University where he serves as the Voice Area Coordinator and Director of Opera. He has given guest masterclasses at Festival of International Opera in Urbania, Italy, Louisiana State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Mobile, University of Louisiana Monroe, McNeese State University, and William Carey University. Bankens has served on the voice faculties at FIO Italia, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Opera Festival di Roma, and with Stories for Strength in partnership with Baylor College of Medicine. Bankens received both his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Vocal Performance, with a minor in Vocal Pedagogy, from Louisiana State University.
Bankens has performed leading and secondary roles in the United States, Italy, and San Marino. In 2016, he made his San Diego Opera debut as the Jailer in Tosca alongside Greer Grimsley, Gwynne Hughes Jones, and Alexia Volgaridou. Other roles include Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni, Falstaff in Falstaff, Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin, Colline in La bohème, Don Annibale Pistacchio in Il campanello by Donizetti, Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette, Uncle in Elizabeth Cree by Kevin Puts, Fredrik Egerman in A Little Night Music, Junius in The Rape of Lucretia, Bob Beckett in HMS Pinafore, The Inn-keeper in The Man of La Mancha, and Orin Scrivello, DDS in Little Shop of Horrors.
Bankens has made professional solo appearances with San Diego Opera, Mobile Opera, Nevada Opera, Opéra Louisiane, Opera Mississippi, Natchez Festival of Music, Blue Lake Opera, The Montefeltro Festival, Starkville Symphony, Monroe Symphony, West End Collegiate Singers, Salvage Arts, Symphony Chorus of New Orleans, The Stonewall Chorale, Lied Society of Minneapolis, and Louisiana Choral Foundation. Bankens has been the Bass Soloist for a number of great masterworks. His favorites include Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Mozart’s Requiem, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass, Handel’s Messiah, and Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio.
Bankens is an active educator with over twenty years of teaching experience as a voice instructor. He is an Assistant Professor of Voice at Southeastern Louisiana University where he serves as the Voice Area Coordinator and Director of Opera. He has given guest masterclasses at Festival of International Opera in Urbania, Italy, Louisiana State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Mobile, University of Louisiana Monroe, McNeese State University, and William Carey University. Bankens has served on the voice faculties at FIO Italia, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Opera Festival di Roma, and with Stories for Strength in partnership with Baylor College of Medicine. Bankens received both his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Vocal Performance, with a minor in Vocal Pedagogy, from Louisiana State University.