CHRISTIAN SANDERS
TENOR
BIOGRAPHY
Christian Sanders has been hailed as a "...voice whose color belies his age. Someone to watch!" (Bill Eadie, SanDiego.com). His operatic repertoire encompasses Tom Rakewell in The Rake's Progress, the title character in Albert Herring, Fenton in Falstaff, Laurie in Little Women, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, and Prince Charmant in Cendrillon, as well as a broad range of modern opera and work by living composers. Last season brought numerous exciting engagements for Christian including Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd with Utah Opera, Vain Man/Snake in The Little Prince with Pacific Opera Victoria, Philip Hirschkop in the new opera Loving vs. Virginia with Virginia Opera, Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and Sellem in The Rake’s Progress at Des Moines Metro Opera. This season, Christian returns to Utah Opera to sing Stuart Ullman and Delbert Grady in The Shining, makes his house début at Opera Omaha as Little Bat in Susannah, and returns to Pacific Opera Victoria to sing Orpheus in Orpheus and Eurydice.
Christian's 2023-2024 season featured significant performances including his debút as Rodolfo in La bohème with Minnesota Opera, Sam Kaplan in Street Scene with Central City Opera, and the Vain Man/Snake in The Little Prince with Utah Opera. The previous season brought engagements such as Dorvil in Rossini's La scala di seta, reprising his highly acclaimed Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd with Austin Opera, Beppe in Pagliacci with the Sacramento Philharmonic, Loge in Das Rheingold with Dayton Opera, and returning to the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as Little Bat in Susannah by Carlisle Floyd.
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In the 2021-2022 season, he made his company debút with Opera Santa Barbara singing The Song Seller in Il Tabarro, covered Miles Zegner in Proving Up with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, performed Donald Trump in The Central Park Five with Portland Opera, appeared as the title role in Orpheus in the Underworld with Madison Opera, and joined Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as Monostatos in The Magic Flute. The 2020-21 season featured his return to Des Moines Metro Opera as Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd and Timothy in Fellow Travelers, as well as workshops for new pieces with American Lyric Theatre and Beth Morrison Projects.
Christian was a Resident Artist with Minnesota Opera for two seasons, performing roles such as Bill in Jonathan Dove's Flight, the Young Servant in Strauss' Elektra, Prunier in La rondine, and Jonathan Dale in Kevin Puts' Silent Night, which was recorded by Pentatone. He has appeared as the Prison Chaplain in the world premiere of Theodore Morrison's Oscar with the Santa Fe Opera and has sung the title role in The Picture of Dorian Gray at the Aspen Music Festival.
As a member of the Utah Opera Resident Artist Program, Christian performed as Il Messaggero in Aïda, Don Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro, Remendado in Carmen, the Padre in Man of La Mancha, Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Castleman in Beck's The Long Walk. He has also been part of Young Artist programs at Des Moines Metro Opera and The Glimmerglass Festival, where he sang Jonathan Dale in Silent Night and stepped in as Tony in West Side Story. Christian joined The Glimmerglass Festival again to sing Bégearss in The Ghosts of Versailles by Corigliano and reprised the same role in November 2019 with Château de Versailles Spectacles in France.
On the concert stage, Christian has been the tenor soloist in works including Handel's Messiah, Bach's Magnificat, Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, and Orff's Carmina Burana. He was a finalist in the Rocky Mountain Region of the Metropolitan National Council Auditions in 2012. Christian received his Master of Music degree in Operatic Performance from Rice University and holds a Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude in Music with a minor in Cell and Molecular Biology from Point Loma Nazarene University. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
Current as of June 12, 2025
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"...a lithe, gleaming tenor and a hugely winning stage presence..." – Opera Today
A Midsummer Night’s Dream – "Christian Sanders was the boyish Flute, showing off a lithe, gleaming tenor and a hugely winning stage presence.”
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“Sanders’ Hirschkop…radiated glee..." – OperaWire
Loving v. Virginia (World Premiere) – “Sanders’ Hirschkop…radiated glee at their potential place in history with a more frenetic energy and a nearly bel canto, tenore di grazia sound.”
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"[a] standout..." – Opera Canada
The Little Prince – “Other standouts included tenor Christian Sanders as both the Snake (very slithery) and the Vain Man (how he longed to be admired).”
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"...splendidly over the top..." – Dallas Morning News
The Rake's Progress – “Christian Sanders was splendidly over the top as Sellem the auctioneer."
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"... an amazing performance..." – Broadway World
Fellow Travelers – “One of the most captivating parts of the night came in Christian Sander's performance as Timothy Laughlin. I was excited to see him take on another role as I thoroughly enjoyed his performance as Toby in this season's Sweeney Todd. With this role, he left his heart on the stage, not only making this an amazing performance, but one I will not soon forget."
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“... earned a prolonged ovation…” – Opera Today
Sweeney Todd – “Tobias Ragg is often presented as a somewhat hapless puppy dog. Not so here, with Christian Sanders characterizing him as more a coltish street urchin, his steady, shining tenor ringing out in the house. His version of “Not While I’m Around” was a production highlight, infused with such an appealing boyish determination that it earned a prolonged ovation."
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"... Sanders was superb…” – Seen and Heard International
The Ghosts of Versailles – “Christian Sanders was superb as Bégearss, never more so than when he was abusing Tucker Reed Breder’s Wilhelm.”
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"... a chilling performance..." – Schmopera
Silent Night – “Christian Sanders, seen in last month’s La Rondine, gave a chilling performance of a reluctant soldier who progresses to a cold-blooded killer.”