Upcoming highlights in the 2026-2027 season include re-engagements with Lyric Opera of Kansas City for La Bohème, Carmen with Atlanta Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and concerts with Omaha Symphony, Tucson Symphony and George Enescu Philharmonic. In the fall, Allen conducts Manhattan School of Music’s Semele. At the piano, Allen collaborates with Tenor Ben Bliss in a series of concerts at Vocal Arts DC, Park Avenue Avenue Armory, Musco Center at Chapman University, and Cal Performances at the University of California, Berkeley. As Artistic Director of Fourth Wall Ensemble, Allen leads a series of performances in New York City.

Allen demonstrates his commitment to education through his work with young artists at Los Angeles Opera, Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Aspen Music Festival, Manhattan School of Music, Northwestern University, New England Conservatory, Mannes School of Music, A.J. Fletcher Institute at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and University of Missouri- Kansas City. He has been heard on NPR speaking about the importance of the arts in American society. As an award-winning pianist, he has performed at Carnegie Hall, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, on film in La voix humaine, starring Patricia Racette and directed by James Darrah, and in Emily, a production he created for Opéra de Montréal and performed at Wolf Trap.

Allen’s career was launched by the Bruno Walter Conducting Award and Memorial Career Grant and has been fostered by Plácido Domingo and James Conlon, who brought him to Los Angeles Opera as Associate Conductor. At LA Opera, Allen led the musical preparation for the acclaimed The Ghosts of Versailles, which won a Grammy Award for Best Opera. Recognized as a Musical America Artist of the Month and one of their “25 Stars Still Rising,” Allen is also an International Opera Awards nominee, and recent recipient of the Young Alumni Award from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Allen’s artistic pursuits extend beyond his role as conductor. He is the Creative and Artistic Director of Fourth Wall Ensemble, an innovative vocal ensemble, which he founded in 2023. Under the Artistic leadership of Christopher Allen, Fourth Wall Ensemble redefines vocal performance, blending tradition with bold new artistic explorations. The ensemble’s recent highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Death of Classical, Power Station at Berklee, The Cell Theatre, Avaloch Farm Music Institute, National Sawdust, in collaboration with Beth Morrison Projects in Paola Prestini’s world premiere opera, Sensorium Ex, and at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. In the 2025-2026 season, the ensemble embarked on a West Coast Tour, and released a recording of Kaija Saariaho’s Nuits, Adieux at National Sawdust+. Fourth Wall Ensemble can be heard on two recordings: Awake, and Ad Manus, the group’s debut album created in partnership with GRAMMY® Award-winning trio Time for Three and five-time EMMY® Award-winning composer Jeff Beal (House of Cards).

Allen is a Recording Academy voting member, and serves on the Board of The Solti Foundation US.