Athlone Artists has announced that conductor Christopher James Ray has joined its roster of artists.

Currently, Ray is Resident Conductor at Opera San Jose, and an assistant with the San Francisco Symphony. In 2017 he joined the Bayreuth Festival’s music staff, where he worked on productions of “Der Fliegende Holländer,” “Lohengrin,” “Götterdämmerung,” “Tristan und Isolde”, “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg,” and “Parsifal.”

While initially set to conduct Opera San Jose’s 2020-21 season, Ray is now working with OSJ to produce filmed performances, including Jake Heggie’s “Three Decembers,” an online chamber opera staring Susan Graham available through December.

“I suppose you could say I was in the right place at the wrong time,” says Ray of his current role conducting for the digital space. “I would’ve conducted my first Salome this season, but of course we had to transition to smaller shows. Khori Dastoor (Opera San José’s General Director) is a very impressive person, and she quickly pivoted to streaming opportunities as part of Opera San José’s new Fred Heiman Digital Media Studio to bring performances to audiences at home.”