+++
date = "2019-01-29T03:34:57+00:00"
discipline = "Baritone"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1548732867/media/2019/01/ChristianThurston.jpg"
primary_image_credit = ""
related_companies = ["scene/companies/minnesota-opera.md"]
slug = "christian-thurston"
social_media = []
title = "Christian Thurston"
website = "https://christianthurston.com/"

+++
A "rich baritone sounding more than ready for prime time"– James Jorden (_The Observer_)

**Current Season**:

New Zealand baritone Christian Thurston rejoins the [Minnesota Opera](https://mnopera.org/) Resident Artist program for the 2018/19 season.  
He performs the roles of ‘Maggiordomo’ in _La Rondine,_ ‘Gordon’ in _Silent Night_, ‘Emilio’ in _The Italian Straw Hat_, and ‘The Marquis’ in _La Traviata_.

In the previous 2017/18 season, he performed the roles of ‘Count Almaviva’ in _Le nozze di Figaro_, ‘Marullo’ in _Rigoletto_, and ‘Nicia’s servant’ in _Thaïs_ with the Minnesota Opera.  
  
**Education**:

Christian graduated from the prestigious [Manhattan School of Music](https://www.msmnyc.edu/) with a Masters degree after completing his undergraduate and post-graduate certificates at the [New Zealand School of Music](https://www.victoria.ac.nz/nzsm) . At MSM, he performed the roles of ‘Count Homonay’ in Strauss’ _DerZigeunerbaron_, ‘Harasta’ in Janacek’s _The Cunning Little Vixen_, ‘Pandolfe’ in Massenet’s _Cendrillon_, ‘Azolan’ in Susa’s _Les Liaisons_ _dangereuses_, and ‘Miller’ in Verdi’s _Luisa Miller._

**New Zealand Career**:

In New Zealand Christian sang the role of the ‘Imperial Commissioner’ in _Madama Butterfly_ and covered ‘Dandini’ in _La Cenerentola,_ both with [New Zealand Opera](http://www.nzopera.com/). At the New Zealand School of Music he performed ‘Snug’ in Britten’s _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_ and ‘Pasha Seid’ in Verdi’s rarely performed _Il Corsaro_. He has also sung ‘Chichibio’ in Mozart’s rarity _L’oca del Cairo_ and performed ‘Don Polidoro’ in Cimarosa’s _L’Italiana in Londra._  New Zealand audiences have also seen him in concert as a soloist in _Celebrating Lilburn_ with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, _Fantasia on Christmas Carols_ with the Kapiti Orchestra, and performances of Viktor Ullmann’s _Der Kaiser von Atlantis_ and Richard Fuch’s _Vom Judischen Schicksal_.

**International Competitions:**

Christian Thurston was the third place winner in the [_Lexus Song Quest_](http://songquest.co.nz/) with the [New Zealand Symphony Orchestra](https://www.nzso.co.nz/). In 2016 Christian was a Connecticut district finalist in the [Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions](http://www.metopera.org/About/Auditions/nationalcouncil/) and received the Guida-LaCamera Award. He was a winner of the Alan M. and Joan Taub Ades Vocal Competition at MSM in 2017, and was a Dame Malvina Major New Zealand Opera Emerging Artist in 2014 and 2015.