James Martin Schaefer

Baritone James Martin Schaefer has an active performing career throughout the United States and beyond. He has received wide acclaim in many of the canonic operatic and oratorio baritone roles. He has performed in numerous productions with Los Angeles Opera and he was a member of Opera Pacific's O.P.E.R.A. resident artist program.  

 Some recent engagements include appearances in Los Angeles Opera productions of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion as bass soloist, The role as the slave master in the seminal production of Rhiannan Giddens and Michael Abel’s profound slave opera Omar, Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Bernstein’s Candide,  He was featured as principal performer in Verdi’s La Traviata. He also recently appeared as the bass soloist for the Berkshire Choral Festival in the Summer of 2025 performing Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass.

 Schaefer has garnered praise for his “marvelously expressive” (Los Angeles Times) and “powerful” (Orange County Register and Long Beach Press Telegram) interpretations of the most beautiful music composed for the baritone voice.

 Schaefer has appeared as a featured /solo artist with Los Angeles Opera, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, the Boston Pops Esplanade! Orchestra,  the Pacific Chorale, the Long Beach Symphony, Les Grande Ballet Canadiens de Montreal, Distinguished Concerts International, New York, The Young Musician's Fund Debut Orchestra, San Luis Obispo Opera, La Mirada Symphony, The California Quartet, Chorale Bel Canto, Opera Pacific, Intimate Opera of Pasadena, Center Stage Opera, the Bakersfield Symphony, Santa Maria Philharmonic, Pasadena Pro Musica, the Roswell Symphony Orchestra, and the Long Beach Camerata.