Irvin began his career at
Orlando Opera in the 2006 season, and continued the following season as a main stage artist. While in Orlando, Irvin also performed the role of Gaston in Beauty and the Beast at Walt Disney World, completing over 700 performances. “I got to be onstage, in front of thousands of people, five days a week, for almost two years,” Irvin says. “And that is not an experience you get - in America - as an opera singer!” In the 2012–2013 season, Irvin sang in Carmina Burana with the Phoenix Symphony, and debuted at Opera Saratoga as Dick Deadeye in HMS Pinafore, and as Raimondo in
Lucia di Lammermoor. Also in 2015, Irvin was seen in Sarasota Opera's production of La Bohème as Marcello. In their review of his role in Utah Opera's 2016 production of Figaro, The Salt Lake Tribune said of Irvin, “Baritone Craig Irvin was a strong foil, playing Count Almaviva as a suave bully who was redeemed by a lightning bolt of compassion at the end of the opera.” And in his role that year at LoftOpera as Macbeth, The Observer commented “As Macbeth, Craig Irvin flaunted a big, steely baritone as striking as his craggy profile.” Irvin has reprised his premier role of Lieutenant Horstmayer a number of times since his original performance in 2011 at Minnesota Opera, including in 2012 at Opera Philadelphia. Further performances were at Fort Worth Opera and Cincinnati Opera in 2014, Atlanta Opera in 2016, 2019 at Austin Opera, and Utah Opera in 2020. Irvin was then described in his role as Dan Packard as “aptly heartless and blustering” in Dinner at Eight, “singing with a big, commanding baritone”. In 2018 Irvin appeared twice at the Wexford Festival Opera, once as Sheriff Jack Rance in La Fanciulla Del West, of which Opera Wire said “Irvin, was very impressive. Stylishly dressed in black, his presence dominated the stage. He acted the role with such conviction that it would be impossible to doubt the malevolence of his intentions.” Continuing, they added “Irvin has a strong baritone with an interestingly colored timbre, which he successfully used to characterize Rance’s sinister nature. He sang with confidence, coated with a vocal swagger that gave him the necessary authority to convince in the role.” Also at the Wexford Festival, Irvin performed Dan Packard in Dinner at Eight. Irvin was honored with the Heinz Rehfuss Singing Actor Award by the Orlando Opera. He was featured by Barihunks for his Zurga in the 2015 production at Utah Opera of Bizet's The Pearl Fishers, and in 2017 for his role at Minnesota Opera in Dinner at Eight. In 2020, Irvin joined Tenor
Fernando Varela and Tenor
Devin Eatmon to form
The Serenad3. Their first album, Christmas Serenade was released as an EP in late November. == Discography ==