Curtis Bannister, a multifaceted artist, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but his family's constant travels due to his father's work led them to settle in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he grew up.
As a child, Curtis was known for his love of singing, often humming and singing songs from church choirs and the radio. He even joined the prestigious Green Bay Boy Choir, performing across the country in choir contests.
Curtis's educational background includes graduating from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
In his professional career, Curtis has taken on a wide range of roles, including Coalhouse Walker Jr in Ragtime, Carlos in Undying Wallace, and his New York operatic debut as Florestan in Fidelito with Heartbeat Opera and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Fidelio production also toured the West Coast, with performances at The Broad Stage in California, Scottsdale Performing Arts Center in Arizona, and the Mondavi Center in Davis, California.
In 2022, Curtis starred as Juba Freeman in the world premiere of Quamino's Map with Chicago Opera Theater Company, following his performances with the company as Baglioni in Catan's Rappaccini's Daughter of Rappaccini.
In 2021, Curtis became the new face of the Pearl Milling Company (formerly known as Aunt Jemima) brand rebranding.
Curtis has also made his mark in television, joining the Apple TV+ series Dickinson as Marquis and making his directorial debut with Chicago Opera Theater in The Transformation of Jane Doe.
He has also performed on the visual album Breathing Free, produced by Heartbeat Opera, and has worked with Heather Headley at the Goodman Theater.
Curtis has made his feature film debut in The Conductor at the Tribeca Film Festival and has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra as Ragotski in Candide, directed by Yannick Nezet-Seguin and starring Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan.
He has also made his Ravinia Festival debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Bernstein's Mass and returned to the role of Sid Sorokin in The Pajama Game.
Curtis has co-starred in NBC's Chicago Fire as Reimers and debuted with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as Ragotski/Cacambo in Candide and Thomas in Amazing Grace.
He has also appeared in the musical series Great Performances with a small role.
In 2022, Curtis joins Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in an undisclosed role.
