John Solomon Collins was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Growing up, he was always surrounded by music, hearing his mother sing with the church praise team and participating in the children’s choir. He developed a love for music early on and cultivated this passion through his adolescence, ultimately deciding to pursue a career in vocal performance. After winning first place in CAAPA’s Scholarship Competition in 2020, he began studying vocal performance under Kevin Short at the University of Maryland, and graduated with a Bachelor of Music in May 2024. He then began pursuing a Master’s degree in Opera at the University of Maryland that same year, joining the Maryland Opera Studio. Recent roles include covering Sir John Falstaff in Nicolai’s Die lustige Weiber von Windsor, premiering the role of Fat Cat in Ashi Day’s The Fishwife, and performing as Morales in Bizet’s Carmen with Washington Opera Society. John Solomon is a second-year Master’s student in the Maryland Opera Studio.