(LEFT to RIGHT) John Kun Park, Luke Norvell, and Michael Deshield
(WESTFIELD, NJ) -- New Jersey Festival Orchestra presents Return of the Holiday Tenors in Westfield and Madison from December 6-7, 2025. NJFO's festive holiday celebration features award-winning tenors, special guests, and seasonal favorites in a symphonic spectacular that brings the magic of the season to life.
David Wroe conducts the performances with this year's guest artists: John Kun Park, Luke Norvell, and Michael Deshield.
Performances take place Saturday, December 6 @ 7:00pm at The Presbyterian Church (140 Mountain Avenue) in Westfield and Sunday, December 7 @ 3:00pm at The Concert Hall at Drew University (36 Madison Avenue) in Madison.
Korean American Tenor John Kun Park is rapidly gaining recognition for his "stentorian voice" equipped with his emotional depth and compelling stage presence (Almanac). John began his 2025-2026 season debuting the title role of Samson in Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila West Bay Opera. He returns to Opera on the James to debut the role of B.F. Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, then will join the New Jersey Festival Orchestra for their Holiday Tenor concert in December.
In the Spring, John will make his company debut with Opera Montana and revive the role of Mario Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca. In recent seasons, John has debuted and performed the title roles such as Verdi’s Otello, Faust, Manrico Il Trovatore, Mario Cavaradossi Tosca, Rodolfo La boheme, Erik Der Fliegende Holländer, Bacchus Ariadne auf Naxos, Don Jose Carmen, Siegmund Die Walküre, and Florestan Fidelio.
John has also been a featured soloist with the LA Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, the Glimmerglass Festival, Chautauqua Opera and Sarasota Opera. He was a finalist for the Wagner Society of New York’s competition and received an encouragement grant, and is a recipient of the prestigious Olga Forrai foundation grant.
Tenor Luke Norvell, a recent graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts where he studied under Bill Schuman, is quickly establishing himself as an exciting new voice on the operatic stage. In summer 2025, he sang selections of Tosca for the Princeton Festival and joined the prestigious Internationale Meistersinger Akademie in Germany.
Luke's 2025–2026 season includes Opera Roanoke’s opening Gala concert, a role and house début as Ferrando in Così fan tutte with Sarasota Opera, his Canadian début covering the Duke in Rigoletto with Canadian Opera Company, and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Opera Grand Rapids. Recent highlights include the title role in Faust at AVA, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi with Opera Roanoke, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Mozart’s Requiem, and the world premiere of Derrick Wang’s Fearless with Opera Delaware, as well as performances with Opera Philadelphia and Utah Festival Opera.
Tenor Michael Deshield was recently named a winner of the Indiana District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and a Third Prize winner in the Wagner Society of New York’s International Singers Competition. Upcoming engagements include covering Manrico in Il trovatore and returning to Sarasota Opera in spring 2026, as well as his Madison Symphony Orchestra debut in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
Michael previously appeared with Des Moines Metro Opera in Strauss’s Salome and was awarded the Stuart R. Silver Scholarship during his Sarasota Opera apprenticeship. A graduate of the Jacobs School of Music, his roles include Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), The Governor (Candide), and B.F. Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) with the Indianapolis Symphony.
Mr. Deshield holds a Master of Music in Voice from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.
The New Jersey Festival Orchestra is a premier, fully professional, symphony orchestra. Founded in Westfield in 1983, NJ Festival Orchestra has grown to become one of New Jersey’s largest professional orchestras, having a presence throughout many cultural communities of New Jersey, and appearing as far afield as Carnegie Hall on a regular basis.
The name New Jersey Festival Orchestra reflects an ongoing celebration of the diversity of music and the creation of experiences that stretch the boundaries of traditional classical performances.
NJFO programs include classics from the orchestral repertory as well as offerings that showcase the fusion of fine arts and popular culture. This unique and dynamic approach to programming further brings classical music to life and creates an ongoing 'festival' of compelling presentations worthy of our name.
In addition to an adventurous subscription season, popular concerts near and far, and a rousing New Year’s Eve celebration, the New Jersey Festival Orchestra sponsors educational and music therapy programs throughout the state of New Jersey.
