Jesse A. Preis is a tenor and pianist from Emblem, Wyoming. Originally inspired and taught piano as a child by his musical great-grandmother, Jesse soon joined choir, learned saxophone in band, and performed in numerous high school musicals and plays. As an undergraduate student, Jesse attended Northwest College in Powell, WY and the University of Montana in Missoula, MT, where he earned double Bachelor of Arts degrees in Piano Performance & Pedagogy and Vocal Performance. Jesse studied voice abroad in Vienna and Graz, Austria (The American Institute of Musical Studies) during the summers of 2015 and 2016. In 2019, Jesse completed an M.M. Vocal Performance at West Virginia University. During his undergraduate and graduate years, Jesse regularly accompanied soloists and choirs, and performed for churches, including Suncrest United Methodist Church in Morgantown, WV and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Missoula, MT.
In 2018, Jesse performed Schumann’s Frauenliebe und -leben as a collaborative pianist in recital with Claire Robertson-Preis. His recent vocal performances include a complete staged recital of Winterreise, performed in 2018, and a chamber rendition of Vaughan Williams Four Hymns, performed in 2019. Jesse has also appeared as the First Priest and Armored Guard in WVU’s production of The Magic Flute, Parpignol in Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s La Boheme Warhola, and roles in numerous opera scenes productions. After relocating to Portland, Jesse works as a piano teacher at Hoffman Academy in Beaverton, the Director of Musical Ministry at Prince of Life Lutheran Church in Oregon City, and a substitute pianist for St Francis Catholic Parish in Sherwood. In his free-time, Jesse enjoys composing new music, hiking, eating excellent food (Mexican, Indian, and Italian are favorites), and yoga.
