NEXT : Oct. 31 | Lohengrin | Theater Bremen ⇒
With a “shimmering velvet voice,” “Wagnerian power” (Ôlyrix), and a “radiant high register” (Das Opernglas), American tenor Christopher Sokolowski captivates audiences with his vivid, electrifying portrayals, establishing himself in some of opera’s most challenging and iconic roles on the international stage.
The 2024/25 season marks several significant debuts: Sokolowski will open the season at Theater Bremen with his role debut as Lohengrin in a new production by Frank Hilbrich, under the baton of Stefan Klingele. He then appears at the prestigious Konzerthaus Berlin, performing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. Following these concerts, he returns to Staatsoper Hannover to debut as Manolios in Martinů’s Greek Passion, in a new production by Barbora Horáková, conducted by Stephan Zilias.
In the 2023/24 season, Sokolowski made his debut as the title role in Verdi’s Ernani at Theater St. Gallen, receiving widespread praise from the press. He was hailed as “an ideal casting” (Oper! Magazin, Kronenzeitung) and lauded as “an extremely convincing, intense interpreter of Ernani, […] able to fill the role with natural, perfect vocal support and a dynamic, precisely nuanced tone” (Oper Aktuell). He was further recognized for his portrayal as an “unbelievably agile performer … [with] a highly individual timbre, a well-developed middle range, and a radiant high register” (Das Opernglas), bringing “a vibrant power and a compelling, sometimes almost wild presence” to the role (Ostschweizer Kultur).
The 2022/23 season brought performances in St. Gallen as Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), Siegmund (Die Walküre, “Der Ring an einem Abend”), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), as well as serving as the tenor soloist in a scenic production of Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, about which the Polish magazine Ruch Muzyczny remarked that “Christopher Sokolowski has the talent, personality, and makings of a great spinto tenor.” He made additional debuts at Staatsoper Hannover as Wagner and Neréo in Boito’s Mefistofele, at Oper Frankfurt as Ken in Vito Žuraj’s Blühen, and as the Prince in Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges at Des Moines Metro Opera, “unleashing torrents of gleaming sound, each phrase more impressive than the last” (Opera Today).
As a member of the Staatsoper Stuttgart Opera Studio during the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, Sokolowski shared in over 100 performances with the company, taking on supporting roles in both critically acclaimed new productions and repertory works. While in the studio, he appeared in concert with the company at the Baden-Baden Festspiele and Opéra National du Rhin and made his debut in the title role of Mozart's La clemenza di Tito at Theater Bregenz. The 2020/21 “COVID” season brought film adaptations of works of Purcell and Monteverdi with the Staatsoper Stuttgart.
Sokolowski has garnered recognition in several prestigious competitions, most recently as a grand finalist of the Paris Opera Competition at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées where he displayed “a technical maturity well beyond his years, enabling him to master the multiple facets of his shimmering velvet voice” (Ôlyrix). He was awarded the Rohatyn Great Promise Award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition, the Hermann Leopoldi Musikpreis in Vienna’s International Otto Edelmann Competition, and was a grand finalist in Innsbruck’s International Cesti Competition. In concert he has performed in venues across the world with a repertoire spanning from Baroque to world premieres.
A native of New York’s Hudson Valley, Sokolowski completed his vocal studies at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music (M.M.) and the Purchase Conservatory (B.M.). He has been a guest artist at the Tanglewood Music Center and the Fondation des Treilles Académie de la Voix.
[photo © Philippe Girard]
September 2024 • Theater Bremen
“Christopher Sokolowski (33) delivers a sensational role debut as Lohengrin this evening. Instead of a dazzling knight in heavy armor, he portrays a sympathetic, sensitive, slender young man full of self-doubt and fear. His performance is authentic and effortless, and vocally, Sokolowski is a true discovery. His clear, well-placed, and dynamically balanced voice masterfully handles both pianissimi and legato passages as well as messa di voce. His perfect diction crowns his extraordinary performance and raises hopes for a great and, above all, long and successful career.” — Klassik Begeistert
“The miracle of the evening, however, was Christopher Sokolowski as Lohengrin. His voice is indescribably interesting and, above all, suited to the production: warm and baritonal, with glowing high notes, he seduced not only Elsa but also the audience. Additionally, his portrayal of Lohengrin as an outsider, with plenty of wit, was mesmerizing. Standing ovations for an opera evening lasting over four hours without any loss of tension.” — Neue Musikzeitung
“Christopher Sokolowski embodies this unusually cheerful Lohengrin very convincingly. His later despair, when he and Elsa can no longer find each other, is believable in every moment. Vocally, Sokolowski masters this role without any audible strain; his voice has brilliance and radiance and shows no signs of fatigue even towards the end. He begins the Grail narration so tenderly, as if he had not already sung with full power for three hours.” — Ioco Kultur im Netz
“Christopher Sokolowski delivers an impressive Lohengrin debut. In this context, Lohengrin's Montsalvat narrative becomes a highlight. Here, 33-year-old American Christopher Sokolowski crowns his impressive Lohengrin debut with vocal and dramatic presence. He is not only approachable as a nuanced hero but also connects emotionally and directly with Wagner's unique character. Sokolowski’s Lohengrin captivates with its baritonal color, skillfully manages the lyrical passages, and impresses when he lets his voice shine with metallic clarity.” — Concerti.de
“[Christopher Sokolowski] possesses a very resonant voice with a 'sparkling' timbre and a special shimmer, along with a radiant upper register that will undoubtedly take him far, not only in the Wagner repertoire. A very interesting new tenor with a highly successful debut, and we will surely be hearing more from him in the future!” — Ihr Opernratgeber
“American tenor Christopher Sokolowski, with his blond curls and slim, athletic figure, makes both his Bremen and Lohengrin debuts. His youthful appearance is only half the appeal, as vocally he lacked neither radiance nor substance. His baritone-tinged voice was confidently controlled, even in the softest dynamics.” — Weser Kurier
“Christopher Sokolowski doesn't physically resemble the typical Lohengrin; with his boyish, slender physique, he could just as well be a ballet dancer. But with his masculine-toned tenor, he fulfills all the requirements for the role, which he carries through to the end with brilliance and without any signs of fatigue.” — Der Opernfreund
“Christopher Sokolowski in the title role perfectly fits this directorial concept in both voice (a metallic, commanding tenor) and appearance (an attractive young man). He has a great deal of power and knows how to guide his rather strong, text-focused tenor with nuanced soft tones.” — Kreiszeitung
July 2023 • Des Moines Metro Opera
“Sokolowski navigated the ever changing and equally absurd moods of the Prince with finesse…Sokolowski’s heroic tenor voice turned the hapless Prince into a compelling hero, his clear tone and skillful technique making the most of Prokofiev’s score.” — Schmopera
“Mr. Sokolowski is all goofy puppy dog, with unerring comic instincts, unleashing torrents of gleaming sound, each phrase more impressive than the last.” — Opera Today
April 2023 • Konzert und Theater St. Gallen
“Christopher Sokolowski has the talent, personality, and makings of a great spinto tenor.” — Ruch Muzyczny
“The vocal soloists were exceptional, above all the clarity of tenor Christopher Sokolowski.” — Ostschweizerinnen
“The demanding solo parts, confidently to ravishingly mastered by [the soloists] were given a very concrete fate.” — St. Galler Tagblatt