bio.

Baritone Christopher Clayton is quickly establishing himself as a rising talent on the operatic stage. He has appeared with companies such as Utah Opera, Portland Opera, Opera Birmingham, Chautauqua Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Opera Idaho. Recent Engagements have included Alvaro in Florencia en el Amazonas, and Fredirich Bhaer in Adamo’s Little Women with Utah Opera Tonio in Pagliacci with Opera Birmingham and Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre Conte di Luna in Il Trovatore with St. Petersburg Opera Germont in La Traviata, Danilo in The Merry Widow and Falke in Die Fledermaus with the Imperial Symphony Marcello in La bohème with Opera Idaho and The Grandfather Clock and the Black Cat in Ravel’s L’Enfant et les sortilege with the Utah Symphony. Upcoming engagements include a role debuts as Frank in Die Fledermaus and as Rigoletto, completing his portrayals of Verdi’s pivotal three operas. An early love of classical music and a fascination with German Lieder led to Christopher’s desire to become a professional singer. That interest continues, and he enjoys being an active recitalist and concert singer. Recently he has appeared as a soloist in The Child and the Enchantments, Händel’s Messiah, Bernstein’s Mass, and Berlioz’s L’enfance du Christ with the Utah Symphony, as the Baritone Soloist in Carmina Burana, and Bloch’s Sacred Service with Utah Voices and the Soloist in Cimarosa’s Il maestro di cappella with the Walla Walla Symphony. Mr. Clayton was a Portland Opera Studio Artist and returned to Portland Opera in 2010 for Trouble in Tahiti. He was a young artist with Chautauqua Opera in both the apprentice and studio programs as well as a studio artist with Sarasota Opera. He received a Professional Studies Certificate and master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music. At Manhattan School he studied with Maitland Peters and worked closely with Warren Jones and Dona Vaughn. Prior to his studies in New York, he received bachelor’s degrees in vocal performance and mechanical engineering form the University of Utah. He has received prizes and grants from the Gerda Lissner Foundation, the Violetta Pollara DuPont Vocal Competition the Marian Anderson Vocal Competition, the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition, the Chautauqua Opera Guild and the Oratorio Society of New York.