Bio
Max Kramer, baritone and conductor, hails from Dayton, OH with expertise in opera, musical theatre, choral music, and artistic administration. He has performed across the United States, and across the globe, with the clear mission to tell great stories and change lives. The productions he is a part of and help lead consistently bring the audience to a world that isn’t their own, for moments of laughter, tears, joy, and real human emotion.
On the stage, recent productions include La bohème (Schaunard) with Centralia Opera, Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi & Spinelloccio) with the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, Amahl and the Night Visitors (King Melchior) with Music On Site, Inc., and Songs for a New World (Man 2) with Capital University Opera/Musical Theatre. He has also worked alongside Opera Columbus, Opera Project Columbus, and Chicago Summer Opera. Max is looking forward to a season making debuts with the Frost Opera Theater, Florida Grand Opera, and Metauro Opera.
Max was the founding baritone of Luces Stellarum, a premiere Ohio-based choral ensemble where they premiered numerous new works. He sang with the ensemble for two and half years where he collaborated with the renowned King’s Singers. His concert work also includes singing as the bass soloist in Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb with the Capital University Chapel Choir.
In the pit, Max has served as the assistant conductor for Gianni Schicchi at Capital University and La bohème with Centralia Opera. He also conducted the off-stage singers in the same production of La bohème.
Max placed 2nd in the 2025 Ohio NATS Upper-Level Musical Theatre Competition and 4th in the 2025 Ohio NATS Upper-Level Classical Competition, as well as receiving an honorable mention in the 2025 Mirabell Schloss Competition in Salzburg, Austria. He is a graduate of Capital University where he studied voice, piano, and conducting. Max is a Master of Music in Vocal Performance student at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, studying under Frank Ragsdale.