Bio

Christian Olson is a versatile and innovative conductor who has led stirring performances to critical acclaim. Most recently he served as the Assistant Conductor at the 2024 Glimmerglass Festival where he stepped in on short notice to conduct a performance of Pagliacci. In 2025, he is slated to be the AAF Faber Conducting Fellow at the Salzburg Festspiele where he was handpicked by members of the Vienna Philharmonic. Previously, he served as the Conducting Fellow with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and as the assistant conductor at both the Chicago Summer Opera and the Indiana University Opera and Ballet Theater. In 2024, Mr. Olson founded the Ver Sacrum Consort in New York City, a chamber ensemble sharing music both old and new.

He has participated in the Ferenc Fricsay International Conducting Competition, the Lányi International Conducting Competition, the Lake Como International Conducting Competition, the German Institute of Conducting Competition and was named a Finalist in the Respighi Conducting Competition. He has also been featured in a PBS documentary on the life of Thomas Wilkins.

Conductors he has studied under and worked with include Sir Roger Norrington, Franz Welser-Möst, Stéphane Denève, Robert Spano, Nicolás Pasquet, and Carl St. Clair. His primary teachers include Arthur Fagen, Thomas Wilkins, and Dr. Paul C. Phillips. Singers he has performed and worked with include Tara Erraught, Troy Cook, Amber Monroe, Robert Stahley, and Deepa Johnny. In addition to his conducting engagements, Mr. Olson is in demand as a vocal coach of young singers in a wide array of operatic and art song repertoire, and has worked with singers who have gone on to be featured performers at the Tanglewood Music Center, LA Opera, the Opéra national de Paris, the Dutch National Opera, Wolf Trap Opera Company, Opera Philadelphia, the Aspen Summer Music Festival, and Merola, among many others.

He is currently researching and writing on the music of Hector Berlioz as a DMA candidate at Indiana University.