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 his Connecticut Grand Opera debut as the Bonze
in Madama Butterfly. Mr. Dickerson will open the 2007-2008
season as Colline in San Antonio, returns to Connecticut
Opera as Angelotti in Tosca, and will play the role of Tom
Morgan in the world premiere musical Treasure Island with
the Fulton Theatre.
He 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 Bohème 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 Jose 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 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,
the Father in the world premiere of Craig Bohmler’s
The Nutcracker. He studied with John Gillas, James Toland,
and Gianna Rolandi.