Grammy-nominated baritone Joshua Conyers has been singled out by Opera News for his “deliciously honeyed baritone that would seduce anyone,” by The New York Times as having “a sonorous baritone” that “wheedled and seduced,” and by The Washington Post for his "show-stealing" performance. A native of The Bronx, NY, he is known for his captivating performances and recognized as one the promising young dramatic voices of today.
Conyers’ busy 2023-24 season includes performing and covering Reginald in X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X in productions with Seattle Opera and the Metropolitan Opera respectively, Handel’s Messiah with the New York Philharmonic, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and Iago in Otello with Vashon Opera.
Recent seasons have included his début with English National Opera as Policeman/Congregant 3 in Tesori and Thompson’s Blue and Reginald in Anthony and Thulani Davis’ X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X at Opera Omaha, which he has also performed with Detroit Opera and Odyssey Opera (where he also recorded the role). On the concert platform, Mr. Conyers appeared as bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and returned to Brooklyn Art Song Society for a series of concerts. He also joined Seattle Opera for Blue, Boston Lyric Opera as Count Capulet in Roméo et Juliette, Memphis Symphony Orchestra for Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, and Cecilia Chorus of NYC for Carmina Burana at Carnegie Hall.
Mr. Conyers is an alum of the prestigious Cafritz Young Artists program at Washington National Opera, where he appeared as the First Priest in The Magic Flute, Germont in La Traviata, British Major in Silent Night, Donkey in The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me, and Zaretsky in Eugene Onegin. Highly sought after for contemporary opera, Mr. Conyers performed the role of Jason in the world premiere of Matt Boehler and Laura Barati’s 75 Miles and Uncle Wesley in Carlos Simon and Sandra Seaton’s Night Trip for WNO’s American Opera Initiative. Additionally, he covered the roles of Mr. Umeya in the American premiere of Ruo and Chong's Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in Mandarin Chinese and Walt Whitman in the world premiere of Morrison and Cox's Oscar with Santa Fe Opera.
As a concert artist, Mr. Conyers made his Carnegie Hall début in 2018 under the baton of distinguished composer and arranger Mark Hayes and his Kennedy Center début in 2018 in the Duruflé Requiem under the baton of Anton Armstrong. Additional concert and oratorio credits include Bach's St. Matthew Passion, Handel's Messiah, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Fauré’s Requiem in D minor, Vaughan Williams' Dona nobis pacem, and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana.
Mr. Conyers’ numerous vocal competition award credits include four-time Metropolitan Opera National Council District Winner and MONC Regional Encouragement Award Winner. He has also participated in the training programs of Wolf Trap Opera, the Glimmerglass Festival, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Santa Fe Opera. Mr. Conyers is currently on the voice faculty at the Eastman School of Music.