Bo Shimmin is a versatile Native American tenor known for his expressive interpretations and dedication to expanding the vocal repertoire. Hailing from the Pueblo of Acoma, Shimmin has performed extensively in opera, oratorio, and concert settings. His engagements have included appearances with Opera Montana, Dell’arte Opera Ensemble, Mostly Modern Music Festival, CoOperative Collective, Barn Opera and the prestigious Lyceum Club in Florence, Italy where he garnered international acclaim following his African American art song recital to an all-Italian audience. 

 Shimmin is a fervent champion of contemporary music, often collaborating with living composers to bring new works to life. His commitment to culturally rich and stylistically diverse programs has led him to explore repertoire that spans early Baroque masterpieces to modern experimental art songs. In addition to his performance career, Shimmin has been involved in educational outreach, working with young singers to nurture the next generation of vocal artists. He currently maintains a private studio of 10 students in Tucson and virtually. 

In 2025, Bo served as the January Artist-in-Residence for the CATALYST program under the Southern Arizona Arts and Culture Alliance. During his residency, he held multiple events that focused on education and songwriting. In 2024, he was awarded a grant from the city of Tucson to bring indigenous composed works to the recital stage. In the spring of 2025, he presented indigenous works alongside a new cycle written for him to an audience in the Civano neighborhood of Tucson. In July of 2024, Bo returned to Sardinia, Italy to serve as the vocal instructor for Kristina Jacobsen’s Sing Me Back Home Songwriting retreats. There he premiered songs written using texts by Giovanni Corona, a native of Santu Lussurgiu, the town where the retreat was held. Connecting with community and through language, Bo has since been invited back to participate in Kristina’s retreats all across the globe. Some of his recent engagements include Opera Montana’s Indigenous-led Wheels of Harmony tour where he and two fellow artists toured rural Montana schools and gave performances and taught masterclasses. He also recently participated in the world premiere of Holy Ground, a piece by Indigenous composer Danielle Jagelski written for 5 singers and percussion. It took place in the historic Church of the Ascension in New York City. Bo has also recently performed with Arts Express, a music theatre company striving to bring high quality productions to Tucson. 

He holds degrees from DePauw University and has received further training at the University of Michigan, Arizona State University and the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory. In his free time, he loves spending time with his partner, learning languages, travelling to new places and writing for his travel blog.