Born in Chile, Christian Senn has been living in Italy since his youth. After taking a Master’s degree in Biology, he was admitted to the Academy for young singers at the Teatro alla Scala studying with Leyla Gencer, Luigi Alva and Vincenzo Manno.
He has collaborated with conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Riccardo Chailly, Antonio Pappano, Michele Spotti, Maurizio Benini, Maurizio Barbacini, Carlo Rizzi, Giovanni Antonini, Ottavio Dantone, Fabio Biondi, Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, David Parry, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Ton Koopman… in many of the most renowned opera houses and venues around the word including La Scala, Theater an der Wien, Wiener Konzerthaus, Théâtre du Châtelet and Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Palau de la Música in Valencia, Teatro Regio Torino, Teatro del Maggio Musicale, La Fenice, Municipal Theatre of Santiago.
Christian is one of the most sought-after baritones for Bel Canto repertoire in Italy and abroad, performing numerous opera roles by Rossini, such as the title role in Il Barbiere di Siviglia in Berlin, Tel Aviv, Milan, Venice, Turin, Florence, Palermo, Verona; Dandini (La Cenerentola) at the Israeli Opera Tel Aviv, Florence Opera, Teatro Petruzzelli Bari and Grange Festival; Taddeo (L’Italiana in Algeri) at Teatro Regio Torino, Versailles Royal Opera and Paris Théâtre des Champs-Elysées; Filiberto (Il Signor Bruschino), Germano (La Scala di seta) and Don Parmenione (L’Occasione fa il ladro) for the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.
In the Donizetti repertoire he has been heard as Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor) in Florence, Bergamo, Bari and Santiago de Chile; Belcore (L’Elisir d’amore) in Bologna; Biscroma Strappaviscere (Viva la Mamma) and Malatesta (Don Pasquale) both at La Scala. Christian debuted at the Opéra National de Paris with the role of Malatesta in a production conducted by Michele Mariotti and staged by Damiano Michieletto.
Mozart singer of the first order, Christian sang the title role in Don Giovanni in Florence and Santiago de Chile. He appeared as Count Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro) in Milan, Naples and Potsdam; Papageno (Die Zauberflöte) in Montpellier, Turin, Verona and Florence; Guglielmo (Così fan tutte) in Milan, Verona, Bergamo, Santiago de Chile and Alfonso in the same opera at the Grange Festival.
Among his Vivaldi roles are Astolfo (Orlando furioso) and Alcandro (L’Olimpiade) under Jean-Christophe Spinosi at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Clistene (L’Olimpiade) under Alessandro De Marchi for the Innsbruck Festival and the title role in Bajazet in major European capitals and in Japan with Europa Galante led by Fabio Biondi.
Encounters with Handel embrace Pallante (Agrippina) under René Jacobs at Berlin Staatsoper and the title role in Porpora’s Polifemo at Theater an der Wien. At La Scala he took the stage as Leone (Tamerlano) alongside Placido Domingo and as Achilla (Giulio Cesare) in a Giovanni Antonini/Robert Carsen production.
He further appeared in concert for Bach’s St Matthew Passion with Alessandro De Marchi at Theater Basel and for Handel’s Aci, Galatea e Polifemo with René Jacobs and the Kammerorchester Basel at Theater an der Wien. Under the lead of Sakari Oramo, he sang Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Wiener Symphoniker at Vienna Konzerthaus and Brahms’ Requiem with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at Barbican Centre.
For Naïve, Christian Senn has recorded a DVD with Rossini’s Pietra del paragone filmed at the Paris Théâtre du Châtelet, as well as two Vivaldi CDs, Tito Manlio and Dorilla in Tempe. His solo album “Bach – The Solo Cantatas for Bass” he recorded with La Barocca and Ruben Jais for the Glossa label, achieved great critical acclaim.
In the 2024/2025 season, Christian performs Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni at Teatro Massimo Bellini di Catania, Tarquinius in Britten’s Rape of Lucretia at Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari and Abramo in Marianna von Martines’ Isaaco at Theater an der Wien. He will reunite with René Jacobs and the Kammerorchester Basel for Haydn’s Cäcilienmesse on a huge European tour.
