Linden Christ – Classical Soprano Soloist

Chicago Opera Theater GALA 2011

Chicago Opera Theater honored COT for Teens on Sunday, March 6th at their annual Gala at Carnivale.  Each year, students from diverse backgrounds and neighborhoods come together to study and create opera. For some, this marks the first experience with singing and opera as they attend schools with no music or art offerings. And for others, it is an extension on a young interest in singing. Regardless of background and experience, all of these students come to us with eagerness to explore a new art form and spread their wings. For three hours a day, three days a week, the COT for Teens students immerse themselves in what we love: opera. The program culminates in the spring with their own production. This year COT For Teens will present a condensed version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, an excerpt from which you will hear shortly. This program instills artistry and appreciation in not only tomorrow’s opera-goers, but tomorrow’s opera stars, as well. 10 of the 30 COT for Teens students were featured at the Gala under the direction of Christopher Richard and Marta Johnson.

The transition that each student goes through from the beginning of the program- where some are completely unfamiliar with opera and singing- to performing in a production that would make even the toughest critic get on their feet, is astounding.   Our students gain confidence in themselves and take great pride in being part of such a special team. The typical after school ritual of TV is replaced with this incredible creative outlet that is inspirational.

One of the high school performers texted this message that night to director, Chris Richard.  “Thank you so much for tonight!!!!   It was truly an inspiration and a reminder as to shy I want to be a musician!  This is a night I will never forget and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity!   Tonight truly was the greatest experience I’ve ever had!

Opera For Teens Gala

Bradley University Soloist

John Philip Sousa Concert

A Tribute to John Philip Sousa concert at Peoria’s Bradley University at Dingeldine Concert Hall on Sunday February 20th, was a complete success with so many in attendance and everyone simply loving the band’s excellent afternoon of music.     Above, I’m standing with the Band Director, Dr. David Vroman who clearly resembles the famous Sousa.

It was a delightful afternoon and an honor for me to participate in!

Thanks to all those who attended!   Video soon to come!!

Opera Composing in the Schools!

As the Manager of Education for Chicago Opera Theater, I get the pleasure to work with amazing teaching artists and have fun creating alongside the students.   The entire month of January focused on COMPOSING melodies to the student’s lyrics.     Our composer in residence, Adam Busch states the following,

“What a FUN-tastic time we had at Calmeca, Clinton and Hampton schools!!  We laughed…a TON, and learned even more!!!  Using our ‘music meter’ ( an octave scale)–the kids were able to select notes, 1 through 8,  to create AMAZING melodies.  Their thought process was very clear.  They identified the story each lyric was telling, then matched the rise and fall of the notes with the emotions and key words of the lyric–even making edits for meter where necessary.  Unbelievably, though all of our laughing–we made full songs in just 3 short sessions—and all of them were totally different!  The funky “clothes were groovy” disco, to the demanding “Chocolate Milk song”—The cravings of “I can’t wait for dessert”, and the joys of “Pizza Day”.
What a great program–that now these kids will learn each other’s song AND perform them!!
Cheers to all the participants!!!!”

Peoria Sousa Concert

Location: Dingeldine Music Center at Bradley University
Link out: Click here

Description: I am ”The Lady in White” for this special Peoria concert featuring the Bradley University Band and Dr. Vroman dressed like John Philip Sousa. I will sing Art is Calling for Me by Victor Herbert and Gounod’s Je veux vivre from Romeo and Juliet. This is one concert you do not want to miss! Tickets are $15 and they sell out every year so order now by calling 309-677-2650!

Time: 3:00-5:00pm
Date: Sunday, February 20th, 2011

Here is part of an article from the bcrnews.com
PEORIA — The Bradley University Symphonic Winds, conducted by Dr. David Vroman, will present a costumed, turn-of-the-century park concert in Dingeldine Music Center on the Bradley campus at 3 p.m. Feb. 20.

The concert will be presented in the same style that John Philip Sousa used to entertain large audiences and which made him a household name throughout the United States. A pre-concert lecture featuring stories of the Sousa band will be presented at 2:15 p.m. by Scott W Schwartz, the director and archivist for Music and Fine Arts for the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The concert will be narrated by Bob Larson of WMBD television.

Admission is $15. Tickets are available at the Hartmann Center Box Office beginning on Jan. 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. on the Bradley campus or by calling 309-677-2650.

Vocalist Linden Christ will perform as Sousa’s “Lady in White.” The concert will feature novelty numbers and music of great composers fulfilling Sousa’s dual function of entertaining the audience and bringing the best music available to the public. There will, of course, be marches performed which will stir the patriotic blood, and, according to Sousa, “will make a man with a wooden leg want to get up and march.” Tickets will also be available at the door, however, there are only 440 tickets for sale.

Linden Kathleen Christ is pursuing a career as a professional singer, director, conductor and teacher. In the summer of 2005, she made her international debut in Rome, Italy, as Gretel in the opera “Hansel und Gretel.” While in Rome, she also was a featured soloist with the Rome Festival Orchestra. She made her professional debut in January 2008 as First Lady in “Die Zauberflote” with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre.

Linden has been the winner of numerous awards and scholarships including the National Association of Teachers of Singers, the DePauw Concerto Competition and Handel’s Messiah Sing-Along that featured Linden as the soprano soloist in Highland Park. She has won the Bel Canto Bravo Award two years in a row in Chicago. She received her master’s degree in vocal performance and musicology at the Chicago College of Performing Arts in May 2008 while studying with the renowned soprano, Judith Haddon. She was the featured “Lady in White” for the Sousa Concert two years ago in 2009.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears traveled to Wisconsin

St. Benedict’s of Fontana, Wi was a lovely host for this operatic experience on Thursday, January 27th.   The church parishioners paid for the Chicago Opera Play House to come, perform and share music with a total of 5 catholic schools and the Fontana public school… which just walked over to the church.   We had a total of over 400 students and they all seemed to love it.    At one point “Papa Bear” exclaimed that even though he was a Chicago Bear he still likes “the pack”…. that is the GREEN BAY PACKERS.   This was quite a hit!   My favorite part was the roars these students created which I’m sure has never occurred in this lovely church before!

Goldilocks and The Three Bears in Fontana, WI

The Three Bears at Ames Elementary

My Opera Company was featured on the front page of the newspapers, Suburban Life!    And also in the Landmark Newspaper!   Click to read both articles and see all the pictures!

Title: Goldilocks and The Three Bears
Location: Ames Elementary in Riverside, Il
Description: I will be teaching opera to the ENTIRE school of Ames Elementary the week of January 10-14th.   This week-long emersion into the world of opera will help kindergarten through fifth graders appreciate and come to know and love opera!   At the end of the opera performance on Friday, the student-body will stand and sing the finale opera chorus! So exciting!
Start Time: 1:00pm
Date: 2011-01-14

Papa Bear Hiding under the lamp shade!

University Singers

I am the conductor for the Roosevelt University Singers.    We had a wonderful winter concert and are starting up again on Wednesday, January 19th.

Our spring concert is set for Friday, noon at the Harold Washington Library, Pritzker Auditorium (lowest level).     We hope you can attend!

The University Singers at Buckingham Fountain!

Goldilocks at Catherine Cook Elementary

I love Mandy Irwin’s photograph, doesn’t it look like Mama Bear has real bear claws! Hilarious! I’m Miss Hood, in the little red cape

We had a wonderful performance at Catherine Cook Elementary School on Friday, September 24th for their morning school-wide assembly. Please check out the pictures from the performance here.

What a wonderful and full-participatory audience!

Music in Education National Conference

I was asked to attend the Music in Education National Consortium in New York Sept. 15-17. I spoke on behalf of Chicago Opera Theater’s Education program, Opera for All in connection with our collaborating partners: Chicago Arts Partnerships in Educations (CAPE). The Conference was held at the Metropolitan Opera Wing in the Rose Building of Lincoln Center. We started off the session with a lesson on learning to play the recorder and then met the 45 other representatives of Music in Education (MIENC) from all around the United States. Some were arts organization directors like myself, several principals, teaching artists, and university faculty. I loved hearing about the other programs accomplishments and strategies.

I stayed the weekend in Long Island, New York and of course I fit in a Broadway Musical: West Side Story!

The Metropolitan Opera House

Opera For All

As the Manager of Education and Outreach for Chicago Opera Theater, I want to share our successful middle school opera program. Check out our WEBSITE!

What moment do you think the kids captured opera that’s shown in our website?

Send your answer to me via my contact page.