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RECENT NEWS
World Premiere: Mason Bates' The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
A co-production with the Metropolitan Opera
‘Kavalier & Clay’ opera collaboration between Jacobs School, the Met to premiere in Bloomington
- News at Indiana University, 11/13/24
Artist Spotlight: Conductor Michael Christie Does It All, From Orchestra to Opera to ABBA
- San Francisco Classical Voice, 10/28/24
"Creative initiatives like this have become standard during Christie’s tenure at NWS, which begins its 30th season in January 2025. He is unafraid to mix styles and eras on a program and to collaborate with other area arts organizations...This innovative spirit can also be found in Christie’s work outside of Southern California as a well-known conductor of new operas. | Read full article
Mason Bates' The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs
San Francisco Opera
Review: S.F. Opera’s brilliant ‘Jobs’ brings a problematic figure to musical life
- San Francisco Chronicle, 9/23/23
"...Bates’ vocal writing is inviting and always on point dramatically. But to this listener the opera’s greatest glories lie in the orchestra pit, where conductor Michael Christie presided with crisp assurance. In addition to a small standard orchestra, Bates adds a layer of electronica — for this production, he is in the pit manning the synthesizer — as well as a prominent role for acoustic guitar and several percussion instruments."
Review: Powerful ‘Steve Jobs’ makes impressive local debut at SF Opera
- Local News Matters, Bay Area, 9/23/23
"...Driven by Bates’ surging score, conducted by Michael Christie with forward thrust throughout, Campbell’s libretto articulates the verbal exchanges without lingering, and director Kevin Newbury makes the transitions from scene to scene feel seamless."
Review: The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs Is Polished, Beautiful, Troubling
- San Francisco Classical Voice, 9/26/23
"...The orchestra, effectively commanded by Michael Christie, rippled with sparkling and gratifying details (including Bates’s own contributions from two laptops in the pit). The production, based on Apple’s own minimalistic design elements, created a believable sense of place."
Review: At San Francisco Opera: ‘Jobs’ a compelling tale of a flawed genius
- Richard Bammer, The Reporter, 9/29/23
"...It is Bates’ music, directed forcefully by conductor Michael Christie, that drives the uninterrupted interest in this 1997 opera that premiered at Santa Fe Opera."
‘The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs’ is a moving and accessible opera about Steve Jobs’ life inside and out of Apple
- Mac Daily News, 9/28/23
"Under the baton of Michael Christie, Bates’ score takes us on an operatic journey through the fragmented memory of love, betrayal, obsession and death, weaving together classical lyricism and a techno soundscape informed by the audio of early computers."
Colorado Music Festival
Michael Christie returns to CMF for concerts - SharpsandFlatirons.com
“...'It was really wonderful to see all those faces again and inhabit that space,' (Christie) says. The Chautauqua Auditorium 'is so unique and full of so many memories and such a great place to have a musical experience.'"
Mason Bates' The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Calgary Opera
Review: Opera deemed a must-see with its complex and dynamic portrayal of enigmatic Steve Jobs - Calgary Herald
"...The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, led here by conductor Michael Christie, really delivered the musical goods, with crisp playing, an excellent ensemble and fine special solo spots for the various instruments. "
Review: Calgary Opera - The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs
- Opera Canada
"The story is intense and effectively told"
New West Symphony, 2022-23 Season
It's classical music plus animation: First performances since winning Grammy to be in Ventura County - KCLU
Philharmonia Fantastique will be a part of New West Symphony performances in Thousand Oaks and Camarillo.
"New West Symphony conductor Michael Christie is leading the orchestra in two performances of the 25-minute-long piece this weekend, as part of a bigger program. He said it’s a wonderful work for classical music lovers, but with the animated film, it also serves as a great introduction for those who are new to it."
New West Symphony Announces 2022-2023 Season - Conejo Valley Lifestyle Magazine
Mason Bates' The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Atlanta Opera
(R)EVOLUTION OF STEVE JOBS by Bates and Campbell under Zvulun Closes the Circle on Apple's Creation - Broadway World
"(R)EVOLUTION OF STEVE JOBS opened brilliantly as a mainstage production of the Atlanta Opera, in its East Coast premiere, under Tomer Zvulun's taut direction and Michael Christie's smart baton. To say the audience greeted the work joyfully would be an understatement."
The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs proves the not-to-be-missed opera of the season - EarRelevant
"The Atlanta Opera Orchestra, under the baton of Michael Christie, was at the top of its game. They sounded fully engaged in the music, contributing mightily to the opera’s vital energy and forward momentum."
The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” is a magnificent, wondrous opera - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Mason Bates' The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Interview: The musical interface and '(R)evolution of Steve Jobs' - Classical KC
New West Symphony's 2021-22 Season
BACK TO LIFE | NEW WEST SYMPHONY GETS BACK TO “OUR AMERICAN ROOTS” WHILE GETTING BACK TO LIVE PERFORMANCES - VC Reporter
New West Symphony 2020-21 Season: Global Sounds. Local Cultures.
TV Preview of New West Symphony's recording sessions for A Tour of Japan on October 18, 2020 - Spectrum News 1
"Not Trying is the Kiss of Death" - Maestro Michael Christie Embraces the New Normal - Ventana Magazine
Michael Christie's Jukebox
Musicians in Their Lairs: Michael Christie – Sharps and Flatirons
The Show Must Go On: Mo. Michael Christie – Lyric Opera Stage Artists
Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera
Grammy-winning conductor leads Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera – Mountain Democrat
Abduction from the Seraglio, Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Review: Tinseltown Mozart in Kansas City – Bachtrack
"Michael Christie led the orchestra in a sprightly pace; the chorus were in good voice."
Review: Kathryn Lewek Leads Strong Cast for “Abduction from the Seraglio” – Lyric Opera of Kansas City, September 27, 2019 – Opera Warhorses
“Michael Christie elicited from the Lyric Opera Orchestra a performance that brought forth the subtleties of Mozart’s majestic score beautifully."
New West Symphony 2019-20 – Michael Christie's Inaugural Season as Music Director
Review: In San Diego and Thousand Oaks, new music directors hail new orchestral eras – Los Angeles Times
“Saturday night at Fred Kavli Theatre, Christie began with kazoos, brought in the Marcus Roberts Trio to spice up Gershwin’s Concerto in F, and turned intermission into an imaginative entr’acte. But he overpowered all that came before with an original interpretation of Rimsky-Korsakov’s potboiler ‘Scheherazade,’ supplying far and away the most spectacular playing from what should no longer be considered a regional symphony.”
Transylvania Meets the Tango This Weekend with the New West Symphony – KUSC Arts Alive
People to Watch in 2020 – Calabasas Style
New West Symphony Performing Lost Pieces From "The Wizard of Oz" – Spectrum TV News
Grammy-Winning Conductor Michael Christie Announces 2019-2020 Season with New West Symphony – Classical Post
La Bohème, Des Moines Metro Opera
Death and Despair in Des Moines: Metro Opera Continues its Remarkable Ascent - The Independent (Kansas City)
“This year’s specialties were Octavio Cardenas’ winning production of La Bohème...conducted with brisk mastery by the great Michael Christie”
Bring Your Tissues to DMMO's La Bohème - Schmopera
“Conductor Michael Christie led the orchestra in a quintessential performance of Puccini’s beautiful music.”
Sublime Bohemians Captivate Indianola - Opera Today
“Conductor Michael Christie led an assured, stylistically sound, and dramatically pliable reading, inspiring the exceptional DMMO orchestra to respond with an ensemble effort that ranged in effects from luxuriant, to lush, to contemplative, to crackling. Maestro Christie excelled at accommodating his singers, partnering them with great finesse.”
Civic Orchestra of Chicago
Maestro Michael Christie Joins Forces With Civic Orchestra of Chicago - Operawire
Lyric’s Ryan Center singers, Civic Orchestra produce plenty of sparkle on a shared stage - Chicago On The Aisle
“Michael Christie, who made his Lyric Opera conducting debut earlier this season in Verdi’s 'La Traviata,' has built an admirable reputation in the opera world. That background plus his experience of previously leading three similar programs with Ryan Opera Center singers, including one in 2014 with the Civic Orchestra, made him ideally suited for this program ... If his frequent smiles were any gauge, Christie relished collaborating with his young colleagues. He drew inspired playing from the musicians in three overtures, especially Berlioz’s “The Corsair,” which came off as every bit the action-packed mini-drama it should be, with a strong showing by the brass. Christie also provided solid support for the singers.”
La Traviata, Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera review: One singer soars in Verdi's 'La Traviata' - Chicago Tribune
“Michael Christie, in his Lyric debut as conductor, drew poetic commentary from the Lyric Opera Orchestra”
Lyric Opera keeps it real with a ‘La Traviata’ true to characters’ inner selves - Chicago Sun-Times
“And conductor Michael Christie, who has made recent marks bringing new American opera to the stage — among them 'The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs' by Mason Bates, a former composer-in-residence at the Chicago Symphony — did excellent work. He encouraged the singers to indulge in their rattled characters’ most intimate reflections without losing grip of the music’s exciting forward motion.”
Review: Lyric’s La Traviata Offers Familiarity Through First-Rate Performances - Third Coast Review
"Michael Christie makes his Lyric debut as conductor, connecting the musicians and the singers in such beautiful harmony that one easily gets lost in the arias."
At Lyric, a ‘La Traviata’ of Great Intimacy Amid the Social Whirl of Paris - WTTW Chicago PBS
“And in an impressive Lyric Opera debut, conductor Michael Christie led the Lyric orchestra in the life-affirming energy of the opera’s grand waltzes and familiar 'brindisi' drinking song, and in the pathos of love and intimations of death. Viva Verdi.”
Left Wanting More: La Traviata in Chicago - Schmopera
“Conductor Michael Christie, making his own LOC debut with this run, brings his expertise in new music to bear on this classic score, leading the LOC orchestra with urgency and dramatic sensitivity.”
Talking with Conductors: Michael Christie - Schmopera
"Riding a stream of high-profile and highly lauded world premieres and commissions of new operas, Christie and the company established themselves among today’s foremost new-music performers and as brilliant exemplars of what a 21st-century opera company could be."
GRAMMY Award Win 2019, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs
West Seneca graduate claims opera Grammy - Buffalo News, 2/12/19
‘The (R)evolution Of Steve Jobs’ Wins The Grammy - Opera Wire, 2/9/19
‘This Funny Thing Called Love’ and other Valentine’s Day fun - MinnPost, 2/12/19
New Music Director Of Symphony In Ventura County Has Big Addition To Resume; Four Grammy Nominations - KCLU, 2/7/19
Michael Christie named Music Director of New West Symphony
Review: New West Symphony's season opener brings audience to its feet - VC Star, 10/8/18
New music director named for New West Symphony Orchestra - VC Star, 1/2/19
Feature Articles
Talking with Conductors: Michael Christie - Schmopera, 2/13/19
Michael Christie: New Opera That The Box Office Loves - Schmopera, 7/13/16
Young Minnesota Opera maestro is man on the move - MPR News, 4/21/13
Michael Christie's time - Star Tribune, 9/22/12
Opera's Next Wave: Michael Christie - Opera News, August 2012
Opera Man - Twin Cities Metro, April 2012
Michael Christie conducts effort to balance symphonic and opera worlds - Denver Post, 7/16/10
Frequent Flyer - Symphony Magazine (cover story), Jan./Feb. 2009 (pdf)
The Talented Mr. Christie by Brad Weismann, 11/4/2008
