Michael Christie Leads World Premiere Of AN AMERICAN SOLDIER With Opera Theatre Of Saint Louis

From Sunday, June 3 through Friday, June 22, 2018, conductor Michael Christie will lead the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in the world premiere performances of An American Soldier, the new two-act opera by Huang Ruo and Henry David Hwang, at the Loretto-Hilton Center (130 Edgar Road). Tenor Andrew Stenson (Danny Chen), mezzo-soprano Mika Shigematsu (Mother Chen), and soprano Kathleen Kim (Josephine Young) make debuts with OTSL and join bass-baritone Wayne Tigges (Sergeant Aaron Marcum) and director Matthew Ozawa for this production.

Christie's most recent appearance with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis was in June 2017 (Puccini's Madame Butterfly) and prior to that, he led the world premiere performances of Ricky Ian Gordon's 27; highly praised productions of Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles and John Adams's The Death of Klinghoffer; and the North American premiere of Unsuk Chin's Alice in Wonderland. General Director Timothy O'Leary says, "It is a pleasure to welcome back Michael Christie to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Christie has led many of our most powerful and memorable performances over the years, particularly productions of contemporary operas. We are therefore especially happy that he is joining us to lead An American Soldier - a truly meaningful and beautiful work by two of the greatest creators of our time."

An American Soldier is based on the true story of the tragic death of Army Private Danny Chen. The son of Chinese immigrants and a proud American, Chen enlists in the US Army in 2011, eager to serve his country. In boot camp, Danny is welcomed by his band of brothers. But in Afghanistan, his own base becomes enemy territory as military hazing turns deadly. This opera addresses issues of patriotism, cultural identity, belonging, and otherness - and asks powerful questions about what it means to be an American.

A one-act chamber version of the opera was commissioned by Washington National Opera and premiered there in 2014 as part of WNO's American Opera Initiative. Of this production, The Washington Post praised, "Ruo interleaves his score with a range of arresting sounds, woven into the fabric of the music - the sound of half-tuneless air blowing on the flute; an otherwordly, theremin-like effect from the brass... the quasi-Asian effects offer not only textural richness but also an evocative illustration of the challenges Chen faced trying to blend his Chinese and American identities."

Michael Christie is a thoughtfully innovative conductor, equally at home in the symphonic and opera worlds, who is focused on making the audience experience at his performances entertaining, enlightening, and enriching. The New York Times reports, "Michael Christie is a director open to adventure and challenge," and the Cincinnati Enquirer declares, "If Michael Christie represents the future of music in this country, the future looks promising indeed."

Performance highlights for the 2017-18 season included engagements with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Santa Rosa Symphony. During his final season as Music Director of Minnesota Opera, he led productions of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking, and Verdi's Rigoletto. In 2018-19, Christie will make guest appearances with IU Opera and Ballet Theater (Mason Bates' (R)evolution of Steve Jobs), Opéra de Montréal (Wagner's Das Rheingold), Lyric Opera of Chicago (Verdi's La Traviata), Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera (Verdi's Rigoletto), and Michigan Opera Theatre (Ricky Ian Gordon's The Grapes of Wrath).

Deeply committed to bringing new works to life, Michael Christie has championed commissions by leading and emerging composers alike, including Mark Adamo, Mason Bates, Michael Daugherty, Osvaldo Golijov, Mark Grey, Daron Hagen, Matthew Hindson, Marjan Mozetich, Stephen Paulus, Kevin Puts, and more. In 2017, Christie led the world premiere performances of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs by Mason Bates with Santa Fe Opera "with suave assurance" as praised by the San Francisco Chronicle, with "precision and pizzazz" by the Santa Fe New Mexican, and "preside[d] over an expertly executed performance," according to The Financial Times.

In 2011, Christie led the Minnesota Opera in the world premiere performances of Kevin Puts' Silent Night, which was awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Anthony Tommasini praised his "supple pacing and vitality" in The New York Times when Christie led the work in 2013 with Opera Company of Philadelphia. He conducted the European premiere of the opera in October 2014 at the Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland, and led the opera again in May 2015 with the Opéra de Montréal.

Other recent highlights include Christie's San Francisco Opera debut in the world premiere performances of Mark Adamo's The Gospel of Mary Magdalene; the world premiere of Twenty-Seven, a new opera by Ricky Ian Gordon commissioned by Opera Theatre of St. Louis; and the world premieres of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Paul Moravec's opera The Shining, based on the novel by Stephen King, and Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell's new opera, The Manchurian Candidate, at the Minnesota Opera. Notable past performances include the European premieres of The Ghosts of Versailles at the Wexford Festival Opera; as well as various performances at Opernhaus Zürich, Finnish National Opera, Scottish Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Christie's nearly 20-year symphonic conducting career has included serving as Music Director of the Phoenix Symphony (2005-2013) and Brooklyn Philharmonic (2005-2010), and as Chief Conductor of the Queensland Orchestra (2001-2004) in Australia, as well as guest appearances leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and the Symphonies of Dallas, St. Louis, Atlanta, Houston, Minnesota, Oregon, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati. Christie's many European engagements have included leading the Rotterdam Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Orchestre National de Lille, Swedish and Netherlands Radio Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony, NDR Hannover Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic. In addition, Christie enjoys a strong profile in Australia, where he has conducted the Sydney Symphony, Tasmanian Symphony, Opera Queensland, and the Western Australian Symphony in Perth.

Christie's New York Philharmonic debut came in 2007 when he stepped in on short notice for an ailing Riccardo Muti, and his Carnegie Hall debut came in 2014 when he led the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Spring for Music festival. Christie also served as the Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival from 2000-2013, where he was highly praised for his innovative programming and where audiences are now at an all-time high, resulting in him being named "Musician of the Year" by The Denver Post in 2010.

Michael Christie first came to international attention in 1995 when he was awarded a special prize for "Outstanding Potential" at the First International Sibelius Conductors' Competition in Helsinki. Following the competition, he was invited to become an apprentice conductor with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra where he subsequently worked with Daniel Barenboim as well as at the Berlin State Opera during the 1996-1997 season. Christie graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music with a bachelor's degree in trumpet performance.

Christie lives in the Twin Cities with his wife, Alexis, a physician, and their two children. A licensed pilot for over 15 years, Christie often flies his Mooney Airplane Company single engine aircraft to his conducting engagements across the U.S. He volunteers for Angel Flight Central, flying people in need with serious medical issues to receive care.

For more information, visit www.michaelchristieonline.com.

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis is one of the leading American opera companies, known for a spring festival of inventive new productions sung in English, featuring the finest American singers and accompanied by members of the St. Louis Symphony. As of its 2018 Festival Season, Opera Theatre has presented 27 world premieres and 27 American premieres - which may be the highest percentage of new work in the repertory of any US company. The 2018 Festival Season runs from May 19 - June 24 and features Verdi's La traviata, Marc Blitzstein's Regina, the world premiere of Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang's An American Soldier, Gluck's Orfeo and Euridice, and the annual Center Stage concert featuring members of OTSL's Gerdine Young Artist and Gaddes Festival Artist programs.