CURTIS BANNISTER
TENOR
BIOGRAPHY
The 2021 recipient of the Actors Equity Foundation Roger Sturtevant Award and Drama League Award nominee (Fidelio), Curtis Bannister has been praised by TimeOut Magazine as “radiating with slowly simmering energy” and a “quiet revelation” by the L.A. Times for his performances in theater, film, and opera.
Last season, Curtis returned to Heartbeat Opera as Chastity in Slaylem: The Witch Trials, joined INSeries to portray Robert in the workshop of Damien Geter and Jarrod Lee’s new opera The Delta King’s Blues, and made his mainstage début with Goodman Theatre in Chicago as Buster in The Color Purple. This season, he looks forward to returning to Indianapolis Symphony as duet partner to Heather Headley in a series of Pops concerts throughout the holiday season. He also joins Pensacola Opera as a Gala soloist, returns to Chicago Opera Theater as Severin in Der Silbersee, and joins Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in a concert of Broadway repertoire, in addition to a robust schedule of regional theatre engagements.
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Curtis recently débuted at Asolo Repertory Theatre to unanimous acclaim for his portrayals as Reverend Jeremiah Brown in the American classic, Inherit the Wind, George in Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Intimate Apparel, and Juror #8 in the world premiere production of the musical adaptation of 12 Angry Men following a sold-out run in Minneapolis. In addition, Curtis débuted at The Kennedy Center as Soloist 1/Celebrant (cover) in Bernstein’s MASS for the Center’s 50th Anniversary celebration with the National Symphony and has performed with the Cincinnati Symphony/Cincinnati Pops, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and The Philadelphia Orchestra in Bernstein’s Candide alongside Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan. Bannister has also performed leading and supporting roles with Lyric Opera of Chicago (Il trovatore, Porgy & Bess, Les Troyens), Sarasota Opera (I lombardi, The Crucible, Lucia di Lammermoor), Heartbeat Opera (Fidelio), Utah Festival Opera (Verdi’s Otello, Der fliegende Holländer, Vanessa, Porgy & Bess), Atlanta Opera (Candide), Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Candide), Chicago Opera Theatre (La hija de Rappaccini, Quamino’s Map, The Nose), and Opera Fairbanks (Le nozze di Figaro).
Since 2023, Curtis has been the concert partner of Grammy and Tony-Award Winner Heather Headley. Bannister made his début at the TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL in the feature film The Conductor and can be seen as Marquis on Season 2 of the Apple TV+ series, Dickinson and Firefighter Reimers in NBC’s Chicago Fire. Last fall, Curtis was seen as Enzo on Season 2 of the Netflix hit show Survival of the Thickest with Michelle Buteau.
For more info visit www.thecurtisbannister.com | Instagram: @thee_cb | Twitter: @theecb
Current as of September 22, 2025
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"...'Cool' is the operative description here for Bannister..."
Indianapolis Symphony Yuletide 2024 - "...whose leading man looks and beautifully toned vocals..."
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"...Curtis Bannister gives it all he’s got..." – Hyde Park Herald
The Nose – “…the titular Nose has only one important singing scene, yet Curtis Bannister gives it all he’s got, with the right amount of nasal sound while he drips with condescension to the man whose only beef is that his nose has done a runner. Bannister wears the enormous nose attached to his torso with the pride of a general displaying medals on his chest, yet still manages to offer humorously furtive appearances throughout the opera. He is everywhere in St. Petersburg except on the face of Kovalyov.”
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"...ringing, intrinsically appealing tenor voice..." – Opera News
Quamino's Map – “Curtis Bannister boasted a ringing, intrinsically appealing tenor voice as Juba Freeman.”
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"...a tenor of impressive stamina..." – The New York Times
Fidelio – “the daring and imaginative Heartbeat Opera — an enterprise that, while small and still young, has already contributed more to opera’s vitality than most major American companies — tells the story of a Black Lives Matter activist (Florestan) named Stan — sung by Curtis Bannister, a tenor of impressive stamina.”
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"...expressing despair and hope in equal measure..." – Opera Gazet
Fidelio – “Curtis Bannister made the most of Florestan’s cruel tessitura, his legato fine, the long-breathed reaches upward accurate and ringing, all the while expressing despair and hope in equal measure.”