American baritone Christian Bowers, praised by Opera News for his "warm, well-knit baritone", and by BroadwayWorld.com for his "strong, clear voice" has established himself as a leading interpreter of the baritone repertoire at home and abroad. Mr. Bowers recently made his role debut as the title character in Don Giovanni at Teatru Manoel in Malta. Performances as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte saw the completion of a Mozart/DaPonte collaboration with Teatru Manoel.

Mr. Bowers’ diverse repertory spans from concert to stage and from the Bel Canto classics to new works. In the 2022-2023 season, he performs Orff’s Carmina Burana with Ft. Wayne Philharmonic and appears as featured soloist in an all-Verdi program with Amadeus Chamber Ensemble. Recent seasons have included his return to Maryland Lyric Opera as the Flemish Deputy in Don Carlos, his Arizona Opera debut as Lassiter in Riders of the Purple Sage, and Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with Maryland Lyric Opera (cancelled due to COVID-19). Engagements for 2018-2019 included a return to Washington National Opera as Ponchel in Silent Night, Vicomte de Valmont in Quartett with Theater Dortmund, and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with the Festival Lyrique-en- mer.

A busy 2017-2018 season saw Mr. Bowers returning to favorite roles such as Escamillo in Carmen (Utah Opera), Maximilian inCandide (Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse and Opéra National de Bordeaux), Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro (Pittsburgh Opera and Teatru Manoel in Malta), and The Pilot in The Little Prince (Washington National Opera & Glimmerglass Festival). He added the role of Emile de Becque in South Pacific (Annapolis Opera) and performed Duruflé's Requiem with the National Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he sang Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Washington National Opera and was asked to jump in last minute as Maximilian in Candide with the company. 2016-2017 performances included singing Escamillo in Carmen and Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore with Shreveport Opera and reprising the role of Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Project Columbus.

Mr. Bowers prides himself on his collaborations with leading creators of contemporary American music. He has especially worked closely with his longtime friend and neighbor Lee Hoiby, and has collaborated with Rachel Portman, Jake Heggie, Lori Laitman, Huang Ruo, Theodore Morrison, and Gene Scheer. Mr. Bowers’ performance as Clyde Griffith in Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy at The Glimmerglass Festival in 2015 was received to great acclaim. Opera Today said, "The central role of Clyde Griffiths is a huge sing and baritone Christian Bowers was every inch the heart of the piece.”

Mr. Bowers is an alumnus of the Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera. While with WNO, he performed many roles including Schaunard in La bohème, The Pilot in The Little Prince, Second Commissioner/ First Officer in Dialogues of the Carmelites, The Chirurgo in La forza del destino, Dancaïro in Carmen, and Stubb in Moby-Dick. Prior to joining WNO, he attended the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) in Philadelphia, where he performed Hermann in Les contes d'Hoffmann, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Renato in Un ballo in maschera and Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia. He has also participated in training programs with the Glimmerglass Festival, Santa Fe Opera, and Sarasota Opera and made his professional debut in April of 2013 as Masetto in Opera Colorado’s production of Don Giovanni.

In 2014, Mr. Bowers won first prize in the Violetta Dupont Vocal Competition and was a grant winner at the Giuilo Gari Foundation International Vocal Competition. He was a finalist in the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition and the George London Foundation in 2013 and won second prize in the Mario Lanza Vocal Competition in 2011. He was also a district winner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in Philadelphia in 2010 and 2011. Mr. Bowers received a Master’s Degree in Opera and Vocal Performance from Temple University and a Bachelor of Music for S.U.N.Y Purchase Conservatory of Music.

 

A native of Hankins, New York, Mr. Bowers enjoyed exposure to many different genres of music while growing up in the Catskill Mountains. He attended fiddle, bluegrass, rock, and folk festivals and even had a chance to meet and work with American legend Pete Seeger. When he is not working on classical music, he enjoys hiking, kayaking, reading, and playing his ukulele and 5-string banjo.

 

April 2023