Tenor Aaron J. McInnis, born in 2000 in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, has emerged as a versatile young artist on international stages. He has participated in esteemed training programs including the Washington National Opera Institute, the Austrian American Mozart Academy, Lyric Opera Studio Weimar, and as a guest of Opera San Antonio’s Apprentice Artist Program.
Aaron made his professional debut with Pacific Northwest Opera in Washington State as Nathanaël in Offenbach’s Les contes d'Hoffmann, the same company with which he later debuted Pong in Puccini’s Turandot and, in 2021, Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata. In 2022, he began his association with the Wiener Staatsoper, appearing in roles such as Un Pastore and Uno Spirito in Monteverdi’s L'Orfeo, for which he was praised by Olyrix as a “young talent” with a nuanced voice and notable “density of timbre.”
Aaron made his Belgian debut in 2023 as Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at the Zomeropera Alden Biesen festival, returning in 2024 as Alfredo in La Traviata. In Summer 2024, he appeared as Pong in Puccini’s Turandot at the Teatro Verdi Trieste. In 2025, he returned to Vienna with Wiener Opernsommer, where he stepped in at short notice as Alfredo Germont in La Traviata. Critics noted his growing confidence and “pleasing tenorial Schmelz” (Klassik Begeistert), while Der Opernfreund praised his secure high notes and vocal assurance, remarking that he had been underutilized in his originally scheduled smaller role.
In addition to opera, Aaron is active in concert and oratorio repertoire. His performances include the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Lukas in Haydn’s Die Jahreszeiten, and Peter in Gardner’s Lamb of God. He is the winner of the 2017 Schmidt National Vocal Competition and the 2018 Bellingham Symphony Concerto Competition.
