Christopher Richard

About Me

Christopher Richard, originally from Chesterton, Indiana, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Butler University and a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Southern California. While in the Los Angeles area he performed with the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, as well as a number of regional companies and orchestras. In Chicago, Mr. Richard has performed with DuPage Opera Theatre, Bowen Park Opera, Light Opera Works and Drury Lane Oakbrook. On a broader scope, he has appeared with Sarasota Opera, Indianapolis Opera, the Aspen Music Festival Opera, Brevard Music Center, the Mexico National Chamber Orchestra, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and the New World Symphony Orchestra. Among his opera credits, Mr. Richard lists roles in Carmen, Cosi fan tutte, Gianni Schicchi, Romeo et Juliette, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Britten, L’heuere espangol by Ravel, The Tender Land by Copland, Trouble in Tahiti by Bernstein and four different roles in The Merry Wives of Windsor by Otto Nicolai. Although Mr. Richard has many credits in opera, he is equally at home in the music theatre, cabaret and recital genres. In addition to performing, Mr. Richard teaches voice lessons privately and at Oak Park & River Forest High School (OPRF), is Assistant Music Director at Irving Park Lutheran Church and director of their Contemporary Ensemble. In the fall of 2002 he was Music Director for the Youth Opera Program at Sarasota Opera which immerses the participants in every aspect of opera production and had over 120 youths enrolled. Serving as Music Director for the Music Theater Works Summer Music Theatre Workshop since 2007, Mr. Richard works on 5 separate week-long productions specifically tailored for young performers each summer and a 3 week program for high school level to perform the same show as the main professional company on the same set. In that vein, Mr. Richard has been the Program Director of Music Theatre at Merit School of Music and taught Music Theater in DePaul University’s Community Music Division. He has enjoyed working as music director for the successful OPRF productions of Once Upon a Mattress and Grease as well as The Fantasticks with Triton College. He was the Music Director for Bowen Park Opera from 2007 to 2011 and co-director of a collaboration between Chicago Opera Theater and After School Matters called Chicago Opera Theater for Teens from 2010-2016. From 2015-2020, Mr. Richard taught Contemporary Music Theater Vocal Technique & Repertoire (VTR), as well as Pre-65 Music Theater VTR and Music Theory and Beginning Keyboard Skills. He joined the Voice Faculty in Music Theater at CCPA Roosevelt University in 2019.