Chris Fistonich
Baritone Chris Drago Fistonich is a PhD Immunologist and cybersecurity researcher turned opera singer. Chris has been hailed as a "voluminous, beefy baritone" with "supple variation of dynamics" (South Florida Classical Review), as a “strong baritone” (Schmopera), and has “impressed with a rich, juicy lyric baritone and energetic acting” (Parterre Box).
Chris is excited to perform with Fargo-Moorhead Opera again, having recently joined them as Talpa in Il Tabarro and as Barol Douphol in La Traviata. Other recent engagements include Silvio in Pagliacci, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Escamillo in Carmen, Baron Scarpia in Tosca, Marcello in La Bohème, Count Monterone in Rigoletto, and the title role in Don Giovanni.
An avid composer, Chris wrote and premiered a new opera, The Enigma of Amigara Fault, with librettist Robert Feng, in 2026.
Originally hailing from Los Angeles, California, Chris received his Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics in 2012 from the University of California, Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA, Chris attended Yale University, earning a Ph.D. in Immunobiology in 2018. Chris teaches Microbiology at NDSU while working for cybersecurity company Malwarebytes, and currently resides in Moorhead, Minnesota, with his wife Stephanie and two cats.