Bass-baritone John Burton, born in the San Francisco Bay Area, began singing during his junior year of college at the University of California at Berkeley where he was pursuing a degree in English literature and preparing for a career as a school teacher.  After discovering his voice, he began performing in operas houses around Northern California including West Bay Opera as Geronte in Manon Lescaut and Fiorello in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, North Bay Opera in Tosca as the Jailer, and Pocket Opera as Yamadori in Madame Butterfly and both Ariodante and Elviro in Handel's Xerses.  He has won awards for his singing including first place in both the San Jose Opera Guild and East Bay Opera league competitions.  He has since moved on to the New England Conservatory where he is pursuing a Masters of Music in vocal performance.  At NEC he has already performed the role of Bartolo in their fall 2008 production of Le Nozze di Figaro and will be playing the role of Sam in their upcoming spring production of Trouble in Tahiti.