Biography (Word)

Mr. Burchett’s rich baritone voice and impeccable stagecraft have earned him a place on the stages of opera companies throughout the United States including New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Opera Orchestra of New York, Opera Omaha, Eugene Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Kentucky Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Glimmerglass and Opera Theatre of St. Louis.

In 2011 Christopher returned to his alma mater, Indiana University Opera Theater, as a guest artist to sing the title role in the world premiere of Vincent by Bernard Rands followed by Bach’s B Minor Mass with the Boulder Bach Festival, A Sea Symphony with Princeton Pro Musica and a reading of the opera Maren of Vardø by Jeff Myers and Royce Vavrek with the Yale Institute for Musical Theater. Last summer he gave a recital in Kentucky and sang concerts with Salt Marsh Opera and Boston Lyric Opera. In the fall, Christopher sang his 8th world premiere as Jack Absolute in The Rivals with Skylight Opera Theatre, Dandini with Fargo-Moorhead Opera, performed a workshop reading of three one act operas entitled The Poe Project for American Lyric Theater and sang Elijah with the Omaha Symphony.

The 2012 season will begin with Christopher singing the role of Blazes in Boston Lyric Opera’s production of The Lighthouse followed by a return to Eugene Opera to sing the role of Chou En-Lai in John Adams’ Nixon in China. Christopher then sings Carmina Burana with the York Symphony Orchestra, travels to Quebec, Canada for a series of Baroque concerts with L'Harmonie des Saisons, returns to Omaha Symphony for Faure's Requiem, sings Dvorak's Stabat Mater with the Bel Canto Chorus of Milwaukee and makes his Kennedy Center debut in Paola Prestini’s opera Oceanic Verses. This summer he sings the role of Bruno Mahler in Kern and Hammerstein's Music in the Air with Music By the Lake and this fall makes his Virginia Opera debut as Dr. Falke in their production of Die Fledermaus. Future seasons include appearances with the BBC Orchestra in London and Fort Worth Opera.

Other highlights of Mr. Burchett’s repertoire include Belcore in with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, Masetto performed at the Estates Theater in Prague and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Dr. Falke with Piedmont Opera, Stárek in Jenufa with Glimmerglass Opera, Leuthold in Guillaume Tell with Opera Orchestra of New York, Bill Bobstay in H.M.S. Pinafore with the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Leporello with Amarillo Opera and The Four Villains in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Indiana University Opera Theater.

A champion of new music, Mr. Burchett has been a part of several world premieres, creating the roles of Orsen in Edwin Penhorwood’s opera Too Many Sopranos with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, M. Carré-Lamadon in Stephen Hartke's The Greater Good (available on Naxos records) with Glimmerglass Opera and Justin in Anthony Davis’ opera Wakonda’s Dream and Baritone Soloist is Paul Moravec's Blizzard Voices, both with Opera Omaha. He has also participated in the revival of several 21st century works: the oratorio Restless Mourning by Anthony Davis, the roles of Braxton and Sherrin in Sir Richard Rodney Bennett’s opera The Mines of Sulphur and Soldier Songs, a solo baritone cantata by up and coming composer David Little.

Widely sought after for his concert work, Mr. Burchett has appeared with many of the country’s finest Bach festivals including the Carmel Bach Festival, Boulder Bach Festival, Louisville Bach Society and Bethlehem Bach Festival where he sang Bach’s B Minor Mass and was part of an Emmy winning national PBS broadcast entitled “Make a Joyful Noise”. Other concert highlights include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the New Hampshire Music Festival, Vaughn Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols with the New York Choral Society at Carnegie Hall as well as Britten’s War Requiem and Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony with the Choral Arts Society of Louisville and Louisville Orchestra.