Jesús Vicente Murillo has been praised by Opera News as “utterly loveable, with an expansive sound and easy stage presence” and by Opera Chaser for his “sturdy and authoritative bass-baritone” in performances of opera, musical theater, concerts and art song recitals across the United States and Canada.
Murillo’s projects in the 2021-22 season include singing the roles of Leporello in Don Giovanni with Fargo-Moorhead Opera; Guillermo Kahlo/Rockefeller/ E.G. Robinson/Petate Vendor in Frida with both Michigan Opera Theatre and El Paso Opera; Il Prince di Bouillon in Adriana Lecouvreur with Baltimore Concert Opera; and Kassandra in Iannis Xenakis’s Kassandra with The Chamber Cartel of Atlanta. In summer of 2022, he will join the Gerdine Young Artist Program at Opera Theatre of St. Louis where he will sing Zuniga in Carmen. He also performed as the bass soloist in Fauré’s Requiem with The Church of St.-Martin-in-the-Fields, and in the concert, “Basses and Beer” with The Penn Square Music Festival. In the fall of 2021, the “standout” Murillo (Salt Lake Tribune) was heard as the Professor/Used Car Salesman in the world-premiere workshop of Lisa DeSpain and David Simpatico’s That Hell-Bound Train at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center.
Since making his debut with Michigan Opera Theatre as The Android in The Very Last Green Thing at the age of eighteen, he has appeared with Opera Saratoga, Opera Louisiane, Charlottesville Opera, Caramoor, Opera in Williamsburg, Salt Lake Choral Artists, Seagle Music Colony, Arbor Opera Theater, Thompson Street Opera, and Main Street Opera. In 2019 he completed a two-year residency with Utah Opera where he sang over 450 performances with the company. While there, the Utah Arts Review wrote that Murillo was a “delight, singing and hamming [his] way through…with disarming wit and over-the-top bravado” in the role of the Businessman in The Little Prince, and Opera News said that “Jesus Murillo sang with a potent baritone, and passion in the dual role of the Spanish Sailor, and Captain Gardiner” in Moby Dick. Since then, Murillo has gone on to cover Dr. Bartolo in The Barber of Seville at Santa Fe Opera, and perform the roles of Figaro in ¡Figaro! (90210) with Chautauqua Opera, Dr. Bartolo in The Barber of Seville with Fargo-Moorhead Opera, Betto in Gianni Schicchi/Buoso’s Ghost with Michigan Opera Theatre, and Masetto in Don Giovanni with Bare Opera.
Murillo received his bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Michigan, and his master’s degree from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. He is currently based out of Philadelphia.
“As enthusiastic drinker Betto, baritone Jesús Vicente Murillo was utterly loveable, with an expansive sound and easy stage presence.” -Opera News (June 2020)
“…Masetto (the excellent Jesus Murillo)” – Voce di Meche 2019
“In a pair of standout comedic parts, baritone Jesús Vicente Murillo as the Businessman and… were a delight, singing and hamming their way through their respective scenes with disarming wit and over-the-top bravado”. -Utah Arts Review 2019
“Businessman (played efficiently and wonderfully by Jesús Vicente Murillo)” -Utah Theater Bloggers 2019
“Fun-paced, comical, and characterized” -Front Row Reviewers 2019
“Jesus Murillo sang with a potent baritone, and passion in the dual role of Spanish Sailor, and Captain Gardiner” -Opera News, April 2018
“Jesús Vicente Murillo as the luckless Captain Gardiner delivers his lines from the theatre’s balcony with authority.”-Limelight Magazine, January 2018
“The sturdy and authoritative bass-baritone Jesús Vicente Murillo also impressing as a fitting Captain Gardiner.” – Opera Chaser, January 2018
“Rounding out the cast… baritone Jesús Vicente Murillo (Captain Gardiner and the Spanish Sailor)… All gave first-rate performances, and their singing and acting were on an equal footing with those of the main characters.” -Opera Wire, January 2018
“Jesús Vicente Murillo did admirable double duty as Captain Gardiner and a Spanish Sailor” -Opera Today, January 2018
“Standouts included… Jesús Vicente Murillo as the captain of a passing ship.” -Salt Lake Tribune, January 2018
“The cast of this beautifully voiced production also features:… Jesús Vicente Murillo as Jose Castro” -Encore Michigan, March 2017