Christopher Campbell had great success in his debut with the Los Angeles Master Chorale at Walt Disney Concert Hall last year. This was in the role of Guajardo in the world premiere of Rio De Sangre an original score by Don Davis the acclaimed composer for such films as the Matrix film Trilogy. As Ricardo in Un ballo in maschera a review by the San Francisco Classical Voice said that “All were definitely up to the daunting task of singing Verdi … with the best work done by Christopher Campbell, a dramatic tenor with excellent high notes”. Mr. Campbell has been hailed as "an audio joy whenever he’s on stage” and that he “delivers a full-bodied lyric tenor that soars with ease, leaving the ear-and for his good looks, the eye-wanting more.” Mr. Campbell has toured with the New York City Opera National Company as Pinkerton in Madama butterfly. In that role, the Sun-Sentinel singled out Mr. Campbell who “sang with a warm, easily produced tone. He even made this cad of a man quite sympathetic.” Mr. Campbell is much sought after in dramatic roles such as Canio in Pagliacci where it was said in Theater Notes “he delivered the famed aria Vesti la giubba with heart breaking emotion”. His signature roles include Rodolfo in La bohème, Don Jose in Carmen, Alfredo in La Traviata, Hoffman in the Tales of Hoffman, Manrico in Il Trovatore and Cavaradossi in Tosca.
Mr. Campbell has performed nationally with such respected companies as Glimmerglass Opera and Opera Pacific. With Opera Pacific, Mr. Campbell sang a number of solo roles, most notably as Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor opposite soprano Ruth Ann Swenson. He also played William Marshall in the West Coast premiere of Regina featuring soprano Carol Neblett and conducted by John Mauceri. Mr. Campbell’s other operatic credits include Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Tall Prisoner in From the House of the Dead, Il Familiare in L’Incoronazione di Poppea and Amante in Amelia Goes to the Ball.
A perennial favorite throughout California, Mr. Campbell has taken the stage with a long list of companies including Long Beach Opera, Opera San Jose, Santa Barbara Grand Opera Association, Bayshore Lyric Opera, West Bay Opera, Pacific Repertory Opera, Pasadena Lyric Opera, Riverside Concert Opera, Inland Cities Opera, Opera Orchestra of Los Angeles, San Francisco Lyric Opera and Southland Opera.
As guest soloist, Mr. Campbell has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Ambassador Auditorium, Royce Hall at UCLA and the Crystal Cathedral. Mr. Campbell’s oratorio repertoire includes the works of Handel, Berlioz, Bach, Honegger, Dubois, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Schubert and Beethoven. He has appeared as soloist with the South Coast Symphony, Inland Empire Symphony, Merced Symphony, Loma Linda Chamber Orchestra, California Master Chorale, Indian Wells Desert Symphony, California Philharmonic Orchestra, Marina Del Rey Summer Symphony, Roswell Symphony, Bakersfield Symphony, Santa Maria Symphony and in the West Coast premiere of Misa Tango, a work by film score composer Luis Bacalov with the Diablo Valley Master Chorale.
Equally at home with opera, oratorio and comedy, Mr. Campbell has appeared in divergent roles. He debuted the role of The Tenor in Flip Side 2, a comedic back-stage look at opera presented by OperaWorks in Los Angeles. In 2003, he reprised his role in Flip Side 3, eliciting praise from critics and audiences alike.
Mr. Campbell’s musical training includes studies at the University of Southern California and work with esteemed master teachers that include the great French baritone Martial Singher and Metropolitan Opera stars Blanch Thebom, Giorgio Tozzi, Dorothy Kirsten, Herta Glaz, Joan Sutherland and Maestro Richard Bonynge. Mr. Campbell continued his operatic training in apprenticeships with Michigan Opera Theater, Glimmerglass Opera and Opera Pacific. He is a graduate of OperaWorks, the prestigious performance training program under the direction of Ann Baltz.
REVIEWS
SFCV.org (Canio, Pagliacci) Opera San Jose, San Jose, California
"...his Vesti la giubba was a model of simplicity, and the wracking sobs which followed were pitched wonderfully. He had equal success in moving from player to enraged husband. The edginess of his voice shoved Canio to the brink, and over it.
Charles Barber, November, 2003
Theatre Notes (Canio, Pagliacci)
Opera San Jose, San Jose, California
West Bay Opera, Palo Alto, California
Christopher Campbell as Canio delivered the famed aria Vesti la giubba with heart breaking emotion
Paul Myrvold, November, 2003
SFCV.org (Riccardo, Un ballo in maschera)
West Bay Opera, Palo Alto, California
“…the king, sung warmly by Christopher Campbell … All were definitely up to the daunting task of singing Verdi, with the best work done by Christopher Campbell, a dramatic tenor with excellent high notes”.
Barbara Baker, February, 2003
Sun-Sentinel (Pinkerton, Madama butterfly)
New York City Opera National Company, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
“The production of Butterfly by the New York City Opera National company boasted only one or two voices technically fitted to the challenge of Puccini’s score…Christopher Campbell came closest to the vocal mark as Pinkerton, with a warm, easily produced tone. He even made this cad of a man quite sympathetic.”
Tim Smith, February, 1999
Palo Alto Weekly (Pinkerton, Madama butterfly)
West Bay Opera, Palo Alto, California
“…[Madama Butterfly] demands a very strong tenor and an incredibly strong soprano. The first of these demands was satisfied with the entrance of Christopher Campbell as the American naval officer B.F. Pinkerton. Campbell handled Puccini’s rather nastily demanding opening aria, “Dovunque al mondo,” with delightful Yankee arrogance and a booming top note. …Campbell is an audio joy whenever he’s on stage, but especially in Pinkerton’s conflicted farewell, “Addio fiorito asil.”
Michael J. Vaughn, October 22, 1999
Tempo Journal (Ghermann, Pique Dame)
Opera Pacific Overture company, Los Angeles, California
“The evening’s best dramatic performance definitely belongs to Christopher Campbell as Ghermann…the production’s most important component was the singing. Tenor Campbell was powerful without being bombastic. He easily filled the room with sound during dramatic moments, yet exerted great control during soft passages.”
Alfred J. W. Tessensohn
Manifest News.org Classical Review (Don Jose, Carmen)
Bayshore Lyric Opera, Redwood City, California
"Christopher Campbell in the role of Don Jose is a dramatic engaging tenor who created an appealingly ardent characterization."
Frances Garcia, October 2002
Santa Cruz Metro (Alfred, Die Fledermaus)
Bay Shore Lyric Opera, Capitola, California
“Campbell delivers a full-bodied lyric tenor that soars with ease, leaving the ear-and, for his good looks, the eye-wanting more.”
Scott MacClelland, March 23, 2002
San Luis Obispo County Telegram-Tribune (Opera Pops Concert)
Pacific Repertory Opera, San Luis Obispo, California
“…Everything that tenor Campbell touched was inspired, his clarity and focus draw the listener like a vortex…”
Marvin Sosna, July, 1998
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
Soloist with the California Philharmonic Orchestra in Andrew Lloyd Webber meets Puccini on August 21 at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and on August 29 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall at the Los Angeles Music Center.
The Three American Tenors, Laguna Woods, September 8
