Praised by Opera Canada for her “shimmering vocals with pitch-perfect intonation” and “ringing high notes,” Christina Thanisch-Smith has swiftly established herself as a vibrant presence on the Canadian music scene. She recently made her Carmina Burana debut to a sold out Jack Singer Concert Hall with the Calgary Civic Symphony and performed Scarlatti’s “Su le sponde del Tebro” with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. An alumna of the McPhee Artist Residency at Calgary Opera, she made multiple main-stage debuts, including a saucy interpretation of Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore and charmed audiences as the iconic Beauty in Giannini’s Beauty and the Beast (a role that prompted her feature debut with Opera Canada Magazine as “Artist of the Week”). In her final season as a McPhee, she appeared on the Jubilee Auditorium stage as a fiery and resilient Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, a performance that further underscored her artistry and promise as an artist to watch.

Equally at home in recital and chamber music, Christina delights in exploring the intimate worlds of art song, with a special affinity for Lieder, inspired by her German heritage. She has honed her craft in collaboration with many of today’s foremost interpreters of concert work, including Elly Ameling, Dame Sarah Connolly, Joseph Middleton, Helmut Deutsch, and Benjamin Appl. After a successful tenure as an Art of Song Fellow, she recently returned to the Toronto Summer Music Festival as a guest artist, debuting Schoenberg’s String Quartet No. 2 with Jonathan Crow’s chamber ensemble. Other notable concert credits include Handel’s Messiah with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Mahler’s Symphony no. 4 with the McGill Symphony Orchestra.

A native of Fredericton and raised in Winnipeg, Christina is an alumna of McGill University (G.D.P., M.Mus.) and the University of Manitoba (B.Mus.). She has also participated in esteemed residencies such as the Franz-Schubert-Institut (Baden bei Wein), Toronto Summer Music Festival Fellowship, Stratford Summer Music Festival Academy, and Opera NUOVA. Her artistic development has been generously supported by the Manitoba Arts Council, Marcel Desautels, the Art Song Foundation of Canada, McGill University, and the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation.

While completing her graduate studies at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music in 2023, Christina performed the title roles in Poulenc’s Les mamelles de Tirésias and Handel’s Partenope, respectively. As a frequent singer for the internationally recognized McGill-Université de Montréal Piano-Vocal Accompaniment Residency, she has sung for renowned pianists and singers such as James Vaughn (La Scala), Graham Johnson, Jeff Cohen, and Francois Le Roux.

Christina was also a member of Les Jeunes Ambasadeurs Lyriques, was selected for the Opéra de Montréal Talent Gala, and bowed as Eurydice in Manitoba Underground Opera’s production of Orphée et Eurydice, all while embarking on trips to the United States, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

When not singing, Christina prides herself on wearing many hats. She enjoys exploring Manitoba with her geologist-father as a licensed prospector. With a newly developed passion for aviation, she flew co-pilot for the first time in a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver plane last year. Christina has also acquired a taste for the art of wine and completed her WSET Level 2. She currently works for a boutique luxury wine importer in Calgary.