John Weiss earned a Bachelor of Music degree in music education at Boston University's School for the Arts, a Master of Fine Arts degree in choral conducting at the University of California, Irvine, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Arizona. His principal conducting teachers were Joseph Huszti, Maurice Skones, and Bruce Chamberlain. He is currently Assistant Professor of Music at Washington State University where he conducts University Singers, teaches Studio Voice and Secondary Choral Methods and Materials.

While at WSU, Dr. Weiss has been a guest clinician at the Northwest Division Conference of the American Choral Directors Association, the Washington Music Educators Association State Conference, the Oregon Music Educators Association All-State Conference, and has adjudicated such prestigious voice competitions as the Singer of the Year Contest in Los Angeles and the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award Regional Competition in Seattle. Singers from his voice studio have been NATS divisional winners at the regional level, participated in the Metropolitan Opera District Auditions, and been employed by regional opera companies. Prior to coming to WSU, Dr. Weiss served as Interim Director of Choral Activities at the University of South Alabama in 2001-02 and USA’s Choirs performed for the Alabama Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in Tuscaloosa. Past high school choral groups under his direction have won numerous first prizes at the All-American Music Festival in Orlando, Florida, and gold medals at the Massachusetts American Choral Directors Association State Festival, the Massachusetts Instrumental Conductors Association State Festival, and the Massachusetts International Association of Jazz Educators State Festival, and performed at the Massachusetts Music Educators Association All-State Conference. In addition, he was the choral director for North American Music Ensembles' European tour and guest conductor for the Vermont Northwest District Festival High School Chorus, the Southeastern Massachusetts Scholastic Band Association Festival High School Chorus, and the MMEA Southeast Junior District Festival Chorus.

As a bass, Dr. Weiss was a Metropolitan Opera Regional Finalist and won First Prize in the Associazione Lirica Italo-Americana Mario Del Monaco Voice Competition. His primary teachers were Mac Morgan, Charles Conti, Giorgio Tozzi, and Larry Day. He has performed leading and supporting roles with Boston Lyric Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Ash Lawn-Highland Summer Festival (Virginia), Raylynmor Opera (New Hampshire), Cambridge Chamber Opera, Commonwealth Opera, Longwood Opera, and Salisbury Lyric Opera (all of Massachusetts), Vermont Opera, Oakland Opera, and Sacramento Opera. Some of his favorite roles include Leporello in Don Giovanni, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, Mustafa in L’italiana in Algeri, Alfie Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Colline in La Bohéme, Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore. In April 2005, he appeared as Sparafucile in Rigoletto with Granite State Opera in New Hampshire and in 2007 he presented solo voice recitals in Alabama and Tennessee.

Dr. Weiss’ doctoral research explored vocal health in the choral rehearsal, especially as it relates to vocal fatigue. The University of Arizona nominated this research for the Julius Herford Award sponsored by the American Choral Directors Association. An article based on this research appeared in The Choral Journal, August 2002, and he presented his findings at the 2nd International Physiology and Acoustics of Singing Conference in Denver, October 2004.