Bass-Baritone Jess Koehn is a native of the midwest, born in Wichita, Kansas. However, he grew up in Arizona and spent time in Louisiana before settling in the suburbs of Chicago. During his education, Jess studied voice with Dr. Larry Day and Grayson Hirst at the University of Arizona, BM, and with Dennis Jesse at Louisiana State University, MM. Some highlights of those years include singing the roles of Don Alonso in Cosi fan tutte, and Mister Mister in The Cradle will Rock.
Since arriving in Chicagoland, Jess has been singing regularly with a number of local ensembles ranging from the St. Charles Singers to the Chicago Symphony Chorus. As a soloist, he has recently been featured in Considering Matthew Shepard with the Chicago Choral Artists, and as the Bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem. Most days however, you’ll find him at home taking care of his garden and two boys.