Born: August 5, 1956

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Christopher (Chris Pedro) Trakas, baritone, is celebrated for the intense, passionate vocalism he brings to an eclectic repertoire. His work ranges from Mozart, Schubert, Rossini, Mahler, and Debussy through Britten, Bernstein, Bolcom, Adams, and Ellington.

Trakas is a winner of the 1985 Naumburg Award (sharing first prize with Dawn Upshaw) and the Young Concert Artists International Competition. He made auspicious New York debuts at Alice Tully Hall and the 92nd Street Y. In a notable performance, he gave the first complete performance of Schubert’s Winterreise in Malta with a pianist. His recordings include Hyperion’s Complete Songs of Ernest Chausson with Felicity Lott, Ann Murray, and Graham Johnson. This work was chosen by The Guardian as “Classical CD of the Week.”

His career highlights include performances such as “Harlekin” in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Metropolitan Opera (Levine), Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges with the Boston Symphony Orchestra (Ozawa), and the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with the St. Louis Symphony (Vonk). Trakas received critical acclaim for his “Count” opposite Renee Fleming in Menotti’s celebrated production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at the Spoleto Festivals in America and Italy.

Other noteworthy performances include ‘Alberich’ in Wagner’s Rheingold with Jonathan Sheffer’s Eos Orchestra and Figaro in the St. Ann’s Warehouse puppet production of The Barber of Seville. He has also played ‘Dandini’ (La Cenerentola) at the Kennedy Center. His European engagements include “Pelléas” at the Theater Basel in Switzerland and concert appearances in Handel’s Giulio Cesare in London and Schumann’s Szenen aus Goethe’s Faust with Sylvain Cambreling in Frankfurt.

Trakas has a strong interest in contemporary opera, which is evident from his involvement in two world premieres by Stewart Wallace: Hopper’s Wife, directed by Christopher Alden, and Yiddisher Teddy Bears at the Sundance Theatre Lab, where he worked with stage director/librettist Richard Foreman. He earned his Actor’s Equity card playing ‘Amiens’ in Shakespeare’s As You Like It at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre.

As a distinguished recitalist, Trakas has collaborated with several important pianists. These include James Levine (Dichterliebe, Histoires Naturelles, Don Quichotte à Dulcinée – Ravinia Festival), Françoise René Duchable (Winterreise – Newport), and David Del Tredici at the world premiere’s of the composer/pianist’s Three Songs (recorded by CRI) and Love Addiction (to be recorded by Koch Classics). On Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series, he shared recitals with Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Amy Burton, and pianists Glenn Parker, John Musto, and Steven Blier.

Trakas has also performed with several notable orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, and Danish National Radio Orchestra. He sang the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti’s O Llama de Amor Viva with Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and the Spoleto Festival Orchestra (Concerto in Piazza). In recent seasons, he has appeared in concert with the Arc Ensemble in Toronto, Peter Flint’s innovative Avian Music, and the Fireworks Ensemble in New York. He also performed at the Kennedy Center with Angel Gil Ordoñez’s Post-Classical Ensemble and in Schubert’s Winterreise at Brooklyn’s Bargemusic.

Trakas has served on the faculties of the North Carolina School of the Arts and Stony Brook University and has been a guest instructor at The Juilliard School. He holds B.A. and M.M. degrees in music history, organ, and voice from Eckerd College and the University of Houston.

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