About me:

Baritone Lifan Deng, originally from Shenzhen, China and now based in Chicago, is a versatile performer whose work spans opera, musical theater, straight theater, comedy, and concert performance. A proud member of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), he holds a Master of Music in Voice and Opera from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music and dual Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Music, Mechanical Engineering, and Aerospace Engineering from Case Western Reserve University.

During the 2025–26 season, Mr. Deng returns as a Studio Artist with Madison Opera, where he performs Schaunard and covers Marcello in La Bohème, sings Gregory Snodegar while covering Dr. Knapp in the world premiere of Scott Gendel’s Everlasting Faint, and performs in the chorus while covering Guglielmo in Così fan tutte. He also joins Cedar Rapids Opera as a Smith Young Artist, singing in the chorus and covering Frosch in Die Fledermaus, and returns to Opera for the Young as Sergeant Bill Corey in its touring production of The Elixir of Love. In August 2026, he joins Tundi Productions’ Wagner in Vermont Festival as a Festival Artist, covering Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde, performing Klingsor in Parsifal, and appearing in the chorus of Der fliegende Holländer.

Recent operatic engagements include Masetto in Don Giovanni, Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and El Payador (cover) in María de Buenos Aires with Madison Opera; Marco in Gianni Schicchi and Schaunard (cover) with Opera Company of Middlebury; Schaunard in La Bohème and Musiklehrer in Ariadne auf Naxos with Chicago Summer Opera; Papageno in The Magic Flute and Sergeant Bill Corey in The Elixir of Love with Opera for the Young; and appearances with Opera Festival of Chicago, Third Eye Theatre Ensemble, Thompson Street Opera Company, and the Montefeltro Festival in Italy.

Beyond opera, Mr. Deng is an active performer in musical theater, straight plays, and comedy. His theater credits include productions with Capital City Theatre (Madison, WI), Metropolis Performing Arts Centre (Arlington Heights, IL), Big Noise Theatre (Des Plaines, IL), Convergence Continuum (Cleveland, OH), Renaissance Theatre (Mansfield, Ohio), Opera House Arts (Stonington, ME), and numerous other Chicago-area companies. He is also a regular performer in Chicago’s comedy scene, appearing in Corn Productions’ sketch series.

As a concert soloist, Mr. Deng recently appeared with the Madison Symphony Orchestra as the bass soloist in Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms. His choral experience includes serving as Bass/Baritone Vocal Fellow with the Grant Park Music Festival Chorus under Christopher Bell and continuing as an active church choir musician in the Chicago area.

In addition to performing, Mr. Deng is a dedicated educator. As a teaching artist with Global Voices Initiative, he teaches music and theater in Chicago Public Schools while participating in international arts exchange programs. He also maintains a private voice studio, coaching singers in classical voice, musical theater, acting, and audition preparation.