John Whelchel is a baritone originally hailing from the sunny clime of Atlanta, GA, but has spent his adult life moving up and down Amtrak's Northeast corridor. After stops in Princeton NJ, Washington, D.C., and New York City, he landed in Philadelphia in 2023 and joined the Chestnut Street Singers. From an early age he was steeped in music, learning piano, clarinet, voice, and self-teaching guitar.

In college, John sang for four years with both the Princeton Nassoons and the Princeton University Glee Club. While living in D.C., John sang with the 18th Street Singers and the Choral Arts Society of Washington, whose standout performances included Beethoven's 9th with Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic, Verdi's Requiem with the Baltimore Symphony, and learning that John William's "Duel of the Fates" from Star Wars does indeed have real lyrics. Later in NYC, he joined the groups Amor Artis and Ghostlight, with equally memorable shows including "Path of Miracles" by Joby Talbot and Arvo Pärt's "Te Deum", among many others.

In addition to music, John is a software engineer, an avid runner, and squash player. Beyond all of these, he enjoys exploring the city and hiking in the outdoors with his wife, Julia, a pediatrics resident at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

John Whelchel

Baritone/Bass