Described by Opera News as possessing a “seething bass-baritone,” Christian Zaremba brings a distinctive blend of vocal depth, physicality, and dramatic intelligence to the stage. Known for his “gracefully menacing” presence (KDHX) and “oaken bass” voice (KC Independent), he has earned equal praise for shaping each vocal line to illuminate the inner lives of his characters. He appeared last season as Mustafa in L’italiana in Algeri as part of San Silvestro a Lugano’s New Year’s Gala with the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana. This season, he appears in Meyerbeer’s Le prophète singing the role of Zacharie with both the Théâtre des Champs-Elysée and the Grand Théâtre de Genéve.

 

In the 2023-2024 season, Zaremba expanded his work across Europe with concert appearances in major venues and festivals. Season highlights include Verdi’s Requiem at KKL Luzern, Amor Fou at the Grafenegg Festival in Austria, Dona Nobis Pacem with Chœur Pro Arte, Messiah at the Six-Fours Festival, and a televised appearance at Musiques en Fête, broadcast live from the Roman amphitheater in Orange, France.

 

A dual French-American citizen and lifelong martial artist, Zaremba is the first performer in Metropolitan Opera history to ascend from stage combat captain and supernumerary to principal soloist. His stage presence—shaped by an early career in stunt work and martial arts—imbues his characters with both visceral credibility and emotional nuance. His long-standing relationship with the Metropolitan Opera bore fruit when he joined their roster as a singer, including various covers, multiple productions of Tosca as Angelotti, and Gianni Schicchi as Guccio.

 

Mr. Zaremba’s breadth of work also includes roles with other major companies, including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden (Agrippina), Carnegie Hall (At the Reading of a Psalm), Opera de Montréal (Die Zauberflöte), Opera Colorado (Rigoletto, Samson et Dalila), Seattle Opera (La traviata), and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (Rigoletto). Signature roles include Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, and Mustafa in I'italiana in Algeri. In his comic turns as Leporello in Don Giovanni he ”stole the show” via the Boston Musical Intelligencer, and his Passagallo in L’opera seria with Wolf Trap Opera was hailed as “the highlight of the evening” by The Washington Post.

 

A graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, Mr. Zaremba’s degrees are in Sociology and Theatre. He is also the winner of The Sullivan Foundation’s 2016 Sullivan Award and a winner at the regional level of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Competition (now the Laffont Competition). He is an alumnus of the young artist program at Glimmerglass Festival (2014) and the Wolf Trap Filene program (2015 and 2016).