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Conductor Michael Christie to lead Mason Bates' The (R)evolution Of Steve Jobs

Last updated on Tuesday, August 21, 2018

(BLOOMINGTON) - In four performances on September 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 7:30pm, conductor Michael Christie will lead The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs composed by Mason Bates on a libretto by Mark Campbell, presented by Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Opera and Ballet Theater.

The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, directed by Kevin Newbury, begins at a critical moment in Jobs' life and examines the people and experiences that shaped one of the most influential figures of our time: his father's mentorship, his devotion to Buddhism, his relationships, his rise and fall as a mogul, and finally his marriage to Laurene Jobs, who showed him the power of human connection.

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In 2017, Christie led the world premiere performances at The Santa Fe Opera, "with suave assurance" as praised by the San Francisco Chronicle, with "precision and pizzazz" by the Santa Fe New Mexican, and "preside[d] over an expertly executed performance," according to The Financial Times. PENTATONE released The Santa Fe Opera's world premiere recording of the work on June 15, 2018. "It is a pleasure and an honor to be part of another phenomenally talented American composer's first opera," Christie says. "Mason is a true theater composer, blending voice, drama and his revelatory musical vision."

In the spirit of Steve Jobs' innovation in the tech industry, this production promises to push boundaries. Victoria "Vita" Tzykun, the production's scenic designer, explains, "The products and experiences that (Steve Jobs) dreamed up with his teams defied expectations and provided a sense of wonder. That sense of wonder is what is very important to us to capture in this production. In order to provide that for modern audiences, we are harnessing cutting edge technology, and fusing it with traditional stagecraft in a way that will create a world that has never yet been seen on an operatic stage." Steve Jobs' concept of a minimal design that encases something with endless possibility is what inspired Tzykun's design for the show. The physical scenic elements function holistically with the lighting design by Japhy Weideman and video projection design by 59 Productions, the combination of which will create an immersive experience. The creative team also includes costume designer Paul Carey and choreographer Chloe Treat.

This is a Jacobs School of Music coproduction with the Santa Fe Opera, Seattle Opera, and San Francisco Opera.

Michael Christie is a thoughtfully innovative conductor, equally at home in the symphonic and opera worlds, who is focused on making the audience experience at his performances entertaining, enlightening, and enriching. The New York Times reports, "Michael Christie is a director open to adventure and challenge," and the Cincinnati Enquirer declares, "If Michael Christie represents the future of music in this country, the future looks promising indeed."

Christie was featured in Opera News in August 2012 as one of 25 people believed to "break out and become major forces in the field in the coming decade." At Minnesota Opera, Christie led 24 productions over eight years, six seasons as its first-ever Music Director (2012-2018) - from staples of the repertory such as La Traviata, Nabucco, Macbeth, La Boheme, Fanciulla del West, Arabella, and Das Rheingold to performances of 20th and 21st century operas via Minnesota Opera's New Works Initiative, including Bernard Herrmann's only opera Wuthering Heights, the world premiere of Kevin Puts' Silent Night which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2012, the world premiere of Kevin Puts' The Manchurian Candidate, and the world premiere of Paul Moravec's The Shining.

Deeply committed to bringing new works to life, Michael Christie has championed commissions by leading and emerging composers alike, including Mark Adamo, Mason Bates, Michael Daugherty, Osvaldo Golijov, Mark Grey, Daron Hagen, Huang Ruo, Matthew Hindson, Marjan Mozetich, Stephen Paulus, Kevin Puts, and more. In 2018, Chrisie led the world premiere of An American Soldier, a two-act opera by Huang Ruo, with Opera Theatre of St. Louis "with impressive precision," as praised by Dallas Morning News and The New York Times reported, "Both the subtle colorings and pummeling intensity came through in the compelling performance the conductor Michael Christie drew from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra." In 2017, Christie led the world premiere performances of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs by Mason Bates with Santa Fe Opera "with suave assurance" as praised by the San Francisco Chronicle, with "precision and pizzazz" by the Santa Fe New Mexican, and "preside[d] over an expertly executed performance," according to The Financial Times.

Other recent highlights include Christie's San Francisco Opera debut in the world premiere performances of Mark Adamo's The Gospel of Mary Magdalene and the world premiere of Twenty-Seven, a new opera by Ricky Ian Gordon commissioned by Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Notable past performances include highly praised productions of Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles and John Adams's The Death of Klinghoffer, and the North American premiere of Unsuk Chin's Alice in Wonderland, all with Opera Theatre of St. Louis; the European premieres of The Ghosts of Versailles at the Wexford Festival Opera; as well as various performances at Opernhaus Zürich, Finnish National Opera, Scottish Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. In 2011, Christie led the Minnesota Opera in the world premiere performances of Kevin Puts' Silent Night, which was awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music. Anthony Tommasini praised his "supple pacing and vitality" in The New York Times when Christie led the work in 2013 with Opera Company of Philadelphia. He conducted the European premiere of the opera in October 2014 at the Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland, and led the opera again in May 2015 with the Opéra de Montréal.

In the 2018-19 season, Christie will lead performances of Mason Bates' The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs with Indiana University Opera and Ballet Theater; Wagner's Das Rheingold with Opéra de Montréal; Verdi's La Traviata with Lyric Opera of Chicago; Verdi's Rigoletto with Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera; and Ricky Ian Gordon's The Grapes of Wrath with Michigan Opera Theatre.

Christie's nearly 20-year symphonic conducting career has included serving as Music Director of the Phoenix Symphony (2005-2013) and Brooklyn Philharmonic (2005-2010), and as Chief Conductor of the Queensland Orchestra (2001-2004) in Australia, as well as guest appearances leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and the Symphonies of Dallas, St. Louis, Atlanta, Houston, Minnesota, Oregon, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Santa Rosa. Christie's many European engagements have included leading the Rotterdam Philharmonic, DSO Berlin, Orchestre National de Lille, Swedish and Netherlands Radio Symphony, City of Birmingham Symphony, NDR Hannover Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic. In addition, Christie enjoys a strong profile in Australia, where he has conducted the Sydney Symphony, Tasmanian Symphony, Opera Queensland, and the Western Australian Symphony in Perth.

Christie's New York Philharmonic debut came in 2007 when he stepped in on short notice for an ailing Riccardo Muti, and his Carnegie Hall debut came in 2014 when he led the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra as part of the Spring for Music festival. Christie also served as the Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival from 2000-2013, where he was highly praised for his innovative programming and where audiences are now at an all-time high, resulting in him being named "Musician of the Year" by The Denver Post in 2010.

Michael Christie first came to international attention in 1995 when he was awarded a special prize for "Outstanding Potential" at the First International Sibelius Conductors' Competition in Helsinki. Following the competition, he was invited to become an apprentice conductor with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra where he subsequently worked with Daniel Barenboim as well as at the Berlin State Opera during the 1996-1997 season. Christie graduated from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music with a bachelor's degree in trumpet performance.

Christie lives in the Twin Cities with his wife, Alexis, a physician, and their two children. A licensed pilot for over 15 years, Christie often flies his Mooney Airplane Company single engine aircraft to his conducting engagements across the U.S. He volunteers for Angel Flight Central, flying people in need with serious medical issues to receive care.

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