Tristan Horan

Tristan Horan is thrilled to have been chosen as a finalist for PBS’s Celebration of Music: Rhode Island. Tristan has been acting and singing since he was five years old. For the past eight years, he has also been composing his own music. Tristan recently released a single titled Child with Bristol Studios in Boston, Massachusetts.

Tristan learned about the world of acting at a very young age. He was very shy as a child so his mother signed him up for a theater summer camp. Because of his introverted nature, he declined any speaking roles. His first stage role was that of the Sun. His job was to raise or bring down a picture of the Sun as the narrator instructed. Tristan continued participating in theater from that point forward. At the age of ten, during a visit to New York City, Tristan saw the Broadway musical production of The Phantom of the Opera for the first time. At that moment, Tristan also became devoted to music. Soon after his trip to New York, after much begging and pleading, his parents bought him a piano.

Tristan’s love for music and singing continued to grow. During his high school years, he performed in several leading roles for several musical productions. He was cast as Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden, as Clyde in the musical Bonnie and Clyde, as Brett in 13 The Musical and as Sweeney Todd in Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Tristan recently performed at Boston College Theater of Performing Arts as Billy Flynn in the musical Chicago. Tristan has also performed in other non musical plays such as the Importance of Being Earnest as Algernon and Get It Together as Harold, among others.

But, Tristan’s career has not been all smooth sailing. The most embarrassing moment he can remember was during his high school’s performance of The Secret Garden when he was singing an emotional serenade and his voice cracked to high heaven. Through experiences like these Tristan has learned to not take himself too seriously and to have fun.

Aside from singing and acting, Tristan loves to travel. Tristan was fortunate to be cast as Aaron in a play written by Anna Smulowitz called Terezin:Children of the Holocaust which is still performed at high schools all across the country as a platform to combat bullying and violence in today’s society. Some locals in Havana, Cuba took interest in the play and Tristan was able to combine his love of traveling and his love of theater in one trip. For a week Tristan performed for and spoke with the local Jewish communities there. Through this experience Tristan found that at the heart of all theater is human connection.

Voting has Passed.