About John

John Huebner is a 18-year-old high school from Los Angeles, California who is passionate about opera singing, cultural immersion, academics, research and helping people in developing countries.

Music

John is an accomplished international singer who made his New York opera debut at age 15 with the New York Lyric Opera Theatre as Peter in Hansel and Gretel at the National Opera Center. John has also performed with the San Francisco Opera Conservatory, the Vienna Philharmonic at the Salzburg Festival in Austria and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Disney Concert Hall. John has performed at prestigious venues including New York’s Carnegie Hall, Australia’s Sydney Opera House, New York’s Lincoln Center, Japan’s Kyoto Concert Hall, Los Angeles’ Disney Concert Hall, Japan’s Blue Rose Suntory Hall, New York’s National Opera Center and South Korea’s MAPO Arts Center.

John created and produced a free solo concert series Opera In Small Bites designed to bring opera to more diverse and inclusive global audiences. Taking a gap year from high school, John traveled abroad performing on all 7 continents for over 3,000 people in 15 countries including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Colombia, Egypt, Finland, France, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, Peru, Russia, South Korea and Turkey.

Culture & Research

While traveling abroad, John also developed a passion for researching and exploring the different cultures of the 43 countries he visited. He experienced cultural immersion through visiting 74 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 170 religious places of worship, 90 museums, 125 historical sites & 15 indigenous peoples’ villages and participating in over 50 local cultural experiences. 

This experience led John to author a two volume research-based book Small Countries, Big Cultures analyzing how 10 countries’ historical developments impacted their present-day cultures and challenges. Vol 1 is expected to be published in September, 2020 and Vol 2 in December, 2020.

His travels abroad also sparked his passion for Cultural Anthropology which studies human societies and cultures and their development and John plans to major in Cultural Anthropology in college and pursue undergraduate research in the field. 

Nonprofit

John founded and launched a nonprofit organization, International Support for the Impacted (ISI) (http://is-impacted.org) which raises money to fight food insecurity in developing countries. ISI provides food aid micro-grants to individuals who are struggling to feed their families due to COVID-19 related loss of work. People who qualify submit an application and if approved, are provided a grant in the amount designed to feed their family for one month.

Academic

A High Honors student, John is a senior attending Ambassador High School in Torrance, CA. Winning all-school top student honors in English, History and Drama, John excels academically taking a rigorous course load while helping tutor and mentor his fellow students as well. At Ambassador, John has been in the vocal choir for four years and performed in three Musical Theatre Performances (Godspell, Les Miserable, Into the Woods). John founded and was president of the Performing Arts Club (on-hold now due to COVID-19) and founded and was co-captain of the Comedy Sportz Improv Team. John played Center for the varsity basketball team his freshman and sophomore years and helped coach the junior varsity basketball team his Junior year.

GRATITUDE CORNER

John is extremely grateful for the following talented and dedicated educators whom have believed in and guided him (in alphabetical order) in his performing arts:

Dr. Pamela Blackstone, UCLA

Professor Dawn Brooks, California State Fullerton

Saffron Chung, Voice Coach and Professional Performance Pianist

Michelle Collins, Voice Teacher

Jane Lee and Sherdale Smith, Hills Academy

Professor Landon Shaw III, Ph.D. Candidate, USC Thorton School of Music

Jason Sluyter, Vocal Drama Teacher, Ambassador High School