His operatic roles include Harlekin at the Metropolitan Opera (James Levine), Pélleas in Basel, Switzerland and with the Handelfestspiel Orchestra in Halle, Germany, Marcello (Opera Carolina), Schaunard (New York City Opera), Dandini (Washington Opera), Figaro (Barbiere — Minnesota Opera), Papageno (Opera Arkansas) and Don Giovanni in concert with Hans Vonk and the St. Louis Symphony. Mr. Trakas sang the Count opposite Renée Fleming’s Countess in Gian Carlo Menotti’s celebrated Spoleto production of Le Nozze di Figaro. He was Figaro in Amy Trompeter’s puppet production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia at St. Ann’s Warehouse (Jaarvi) and Don Quixote in Basil Twist’s realization of De Falla’s El Retablo de Maese Pedro with the Eos Orchestra (Sheffer). Mr. Trakas also received critical acclaim as Alberich in Christopher Alden’s chamber adaptation of Rheingold with Eos. He returned to Spoleto to sing The Prisoner in Menotti’s Maria Golovin, starring Paulo Szot and Nuccia Focile. With American Opera Projects he created the role of Tristan in The Lost Childhood and most recently took the lead in the world première of Tom Cipullo’s Glory Denied with NYC’s Remarkable Theatre Brigade, conducted by Steven Crawford. Upcoming is his return to the Metropolitan Opera in 2011 as understudy of the role of Nixon in Nixon in China.

His orchestral credits include L’Enfant et les Sortileges with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony, Damnation of Faust with James Levine and the Chicago Symphony, Kindertotenlieder with the Danish radio orchestra, Schumann’s Szenen aus Goethe’s Faust with Frankfurt Opera (Cambreling), Giulio Cesare with the Academy of London, Carmina Burana in Oakland (Buckley), Ives and Copland with James Sinclair (Orchestra New England), Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen with the Boston Philharmonic (Zander) and Songs and Dances of Death with the Florida Orchestra. Mr. Trakas sang the world première of Menotti’s O Llama de Amor Vivo, written for him, with Fruhbeck de Burgos (Spoleto Festival Orchestra) and both Ravel’s and Ibert’s Don Quixote cycles with Angel Ordonez’s Post-Classical Ensemble at the Kennedy Center. In concert with the Eos Orchestra Mr. Trakas took the role of Chou En Lai in John Adam’s Nixon in China at Alice Tully Hall in New York City.

Equally at home in musical theatre, Mr. Trakas sang Riff in West Side Story with the Israel Philharmonic (Barrett), Joe in Jeffery Stock’s Temperance Songs at the Public Theatre, and a review of the composer’s work Taking Stock at Joe’s Pub. Mr. Trakas was Mahler at the Musical Theatre Workshop in Scott Frankel’s and Michael Korie’s Doll directed by Graciele Daniele and featuring Roger Bart and Mary Testa, and he appeared with Kristen Chenoweth, Adam Guettel, Judy Blazer and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson in Lincoln Center’s American Songbook concert of Ricky Ian Gordon’s Bright Eyed Joy, conducted by Ted Sperling. Mr. Trakas acted and sang the role of Amiens in Shakespeare’s As You Like It at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre, directed by Stephen Wadsworth, and he created the role of Hoffmeister at the Sundance Theatre Lab working with director/playwright Richard Foreman in the opera Yiddisher Teddy Bears. With director Christopher Alden Mr. Trakas created the role of Edward Hopper in Stewart Wallace’s and Michael Korie’s Hopper’s Wife at the Long Beach Opera.

As winner of the Naumburg Award — sharing first prize with Dawn Upshaw — Chris is a distinguished recitalist and has performed at major venues with such distinguished pianists as James Levine (Schumann and Ravel — Ravinia Festival), David Del Tredici in the world premiere of the pianist/composer’s Love Addiction at Merkin Hall, François Duchable Winterreise (Newport Music Festival) and James Tocco’s Ives and Bernstein (Detroit Chamber Music). His recordings include Poulenc with Dalton Baldwin and his Naumburg Award Debut disc with Steven Blier. Along with Dame Felicity Lott and Ann Murray, Mr. Trakas recorded the complete songs of Chausson with pianist Graham Johnson. He shared duo recitals with Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Amy Burton and pianists John Musto, Glenn Parker and Steven Blier on Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series, and toured with American Ballet Theatre singing Kindertotenlieder on stage in Tudor’s Dark Elegies, subsequently broadcast on PBS’s Dance in America. As a noted champion of new music, Mr. Trakas has sung world premières by such noted composers as William Bolcom, David Del Tredici, John Musto, Earl Kim, Christopher Berg, and Marek Zebrowsky, among others. Most recently he premièred Walter Arlen’s cycle The Poet in Exile (Milosz) at NYC’s Museum of Jewish History with James Anagnuson and Toronto’s award-winning chamber group, the ARC Ensemble.

Mr. Trakas holds BA and MM degrees in music history, organ, and voice from Eckerd College and the University of Houston. He has taught on the voice faculties of the North Carolina School of the Arts and SUNY Stony Brook, and has given master classes in song literature at the Juilliard School and at many colleges and universities throughout the USA. His teachers have included Elena Nikolaidi, Marlena Malas, Arthur Levy and Myron McPherson. Mr. Trakas divides his time between homes on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and on Boca Ciega Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida.