Bass Christopher Dickerson is an alumnus of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Center for American Artists, whose activities in the 2006-2007 season brought him to the Lyric Opera of San Antonio as Dr. Grenvil in La traviata, and as the Pirate King in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. He made his Connecticut Opera Debut in the season as Zuniga in Carmen and returned to the company as the Bonze in Madama Butterfly. Mr. Dickerson will open the 2007-2008 season as Colline in San Antonio, returns to Connecticut as Angelotti in Tosca, and will be Dr. Grenvil in La traviata with the Jacksonville Symphony.

Mr. Dickerson opened the 2005-2006 season as Sam in Un ballo in maschera at the Opera Company of Philadelphia and made his debut at the Minnesota Opera as Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni, immediately followed by the role of Vecchio Orazio in Mercadante’s Orazi e Curiazi. His roles in the 2004-2005 season have included Alidoro in La Cenerentola and Commendatore in Don Giovanni in San Antonio, Angelotti in Tosca in Ft. Worth, and Colline in La Boheme in Milwaukee. Mr. Dickerson closed the season at the Caramoor Festival in La Traviata and La Sonnambula.

While a member of the Lyric Opera Center, Mr. Dickerson created the role of Nimrod Baruch in the world premiere of Lovers and Friends (Chautauqua Variations) by Lyric’s then Composer-in-Residence, Michael John LaChiusa. Other credits in Chicago have included Dottore Grenvil in La traviata, Tom in Un ballo in maschera and the Commissioner in Madama Butterfly. He made his debut at Opera Memphis as Ramfis in Aida, sang Il Re in the same opus with the San José Symphony, returned to Memphis as John Potts in Michael Ching’s Corps of Discovery, made his San Francisco Opera debut in Doktor Faust, and his San Antonio Opera debut as Sparafucile in Rigoletto.

Dickerson studied at Texas Tech University before joining the professional Resident Artist Program of Opera San José, where he excelled in the Rossini roles of Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Selim in Il Turco in Italia, and Alidoro in La Cenerentola. His many other Opera San José credits include Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Zuniga in Carmen, Friar Laurence in Roméo et Juliette, Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin, Candy in Of Mice and Men, Father Trulove in The Rake’s Progress, and the Father in the world premiere of Craig Bohmler’s The Nutcracker. He studied extensively with John Gillas, James Toland and Gianna Rolandi. For additional biographical information and photographs, please visit www.chrisdickerson.com.

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