Tenor Christian Sanders has distinguished himself as a captivating and charismatic performer, celebrated for his dynamic vocal and dramatic presence. Highlights of the 2026-2027 season include Jonathan Dale in Silent Night with The Atlanta Opera, and Little Bat in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah with San Diego Opera.
During the 2025–2026 season, Christian returned to Pacific Opera Victoria as Orpheus in Orpheus and Eurydice and to Utah Opera as Stuart Ullman and Delbert Grady in The Shining. He also made his house debut with Opera Omaha as Little Bat in Susannah. His 2024-2025 engagements included Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd with Utah Opera, Vain Man/Snake in The Little Prince with Pacific Opera Victoria, Philip Hirschkop in the new opera Loving vs. Virginia with Virginia Opera, Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and Sellem in The Rake's Progress at Des Moines Metro Opera.
Other recent operatic highlights include: Loge in Das Rheingold with Dayton Opera; Timothy Laughlin in Fellow Travelers with Des Moines Metro Opera; Little Bat with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, directed by acclaimed soprano Patricia Racette; the title role in The Picture of Dorian Gray at the Aspen Music Festival; and Bégearss in The Ghosts of Versailles at the Glimmerglass Festival and Château de Versailles.
Christian Sanders delivered memorable portrayals as Sam Kaplan in Street Scene with Central City Opera; Tobias Ragg with Austin Opera and Des Moines Metro Opera; the title role in Orpheus in the Underworld with Madison Opera; Beppe in Pagliacci with the Sacramento Philharmonic; Tony in West Side Story with Glimmerglass; the Prison Chaplain in the world premiere of Theodore Morrison's Oscar with the Santa Fe Opera; and Donald Trump in The Central Park Five with Portland Opera.
Christian was a Resident Artist with Minnesota Opera for two seasons, performing roles such as Bill in Jonathan Dove's Flight, the Young Servant in Strauss' Elektra, Prunier in La rondine, and Jonathan Dale in Kevin Puts' Silent Night, which was recorded by Pentatone. Mr. Sanders was also a member of the Utah Opera Resident Artist Program and has returned regularly as a guest artist.
On the concert stage, he has been the tenor soloist in works including Handel's Messiah, Bach's Magnificat, Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, and Orff's Carmina Burana. Christian Sanders received his Master of Music degree in Operatic Performance from Rice University and holds a Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude in Music with a minor in Cell and Molecular Biology from Point Loma Nazarene University. He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
