Christopher Holmes
Baritone Christopher Holmes has performed more than 40 operatic roles with companies including Austin Opera, Central City Opera, Eugene Opera, Opera Idaho, Phoenix Opera, and San Antonio Opera.
Christopher continues to expand his presence in the Verdi repertoire. As Iago with Winter Opera St. Louis, critics noted he sang “with clarity and power, and with a skilled actor’s ability to convey mood and character,” praising his “control and subtlety.” As Rigoletto with St. Petersburg Opera, he was described as “an incredibly beautiful lyric baritone with a very clear understanding of who this humiliated and terribly wronged man is.” His Germont in La traviata was praised for its “crystal clear enunciation” and polish. Additional Verdi roles include Conte di Luna in Il trovatore with Opera in the Heights and Renato in Un ballo in maschera with Opera Project Columbus.
Recent engagements have included Marcello in La bohème at the Noorda Center for the Performing Arts at Utah Valley University; the baritone soloist in Dwight Bigler’s Mosaic for Earth at Virginia Tech; covering Scarpia in Tosca with Utah Symphony & Opera; participating in the workshop of John Massaro’s opera Isabella; and serving as soloist in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with Craig Jessop at Utah Valley University. Additional collaborations with Jessop include Vaughan Williams’ Dona nobis pacem, Hodie, and Serenade to Music with the American Festival Chorus and Orchestra, as well as Pilate and bass soloist in Bach’s St. John Passion.
Other recent projects include Jesus in R. Cundick’s The Redeemer with the Orchestra and Chorale at Temple Square; Gabriel in Mary and Elizabeth commissioned for the BYU Women’s Chorus; Germont in La traviata and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Bellevue Opera; the title role in Don Giovanni with Painted Sky Opera; and Escamillo in Carmen with Western Plains Opera.
Earlier in his career, Christopher appeared as Barone Douphol with Utah Symphony & Opera, Conte Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with Utah Festival Opera, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with Opera Company of Middlebury, Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Western Plains Opera, and Escamillo in Carmen at the Pine Mountain Music Festival.
Christopher holds degrees in opera performance from the Oberlin College Conservatory (B.M., M.M.) and Temple University (M.M.), and has previously served on the voice faculty at Texas State University. He is based in Provo, Utah.
