David Walton
Praised for his “plangent timbre,” David Walton dazzles stages across the country to critical acclaim as a versatile lyric tenor to watch. A favorite tenor of bel canto, Mr. Walton has frequented such roles as Ferrando in Mozart‘s Così fan tutte, Tonio in Donizetti‘s La fille du régiment, and Almaviva in Rossini‘s Il barbiere di Siviglia. His voice been described as “the sweetest singing of the evening…a lyric tenor with strong Italianate stylings,” (Star Tribune) “a 21st century Rossini tenor” (Opera War Horses), and “smooth, lyrical, and capable of scaling the heights” (Virginia Pilot).
In the 2024-2025 season, Mr. Walton brings his celebrated Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia to Minnesota Opera and Madison Opera. In his début with the South Florida Symphony, he sings the title role in their staged Candide, makes his role debut as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Livermore Valley Opera, and returns to the South Dakota Symphony in an all Bach/Mozart program. Other concert appearances include Columbus Symphony and Pacific Symphony for the tenor solo in Handel’s Messiah, the Evangelist in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Winona Symphony, and his Carnegie Hall debut for Mozart’s Requiem and Vesperae solennes de confessore.
Other operatic credits include Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, Filippo in Haydn’s L’ infidelta delusa, Acis in Handel‘s Acis and Galatea, and multiple roles in the canon of Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti such as Die Zauberflöte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, La scala di seta, l‘occasione fa il ladro, and Don Pasquale. Company appearances include Cincinnati Opera, Opera San Antonio, Kentucky Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Delaware, The Glimmerglass Festival, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
David has sung multiple new works and world premieres throughout the country including Tom in the world premiere of Companionship by Rachel Peters with Fort Worth Opera, Younger Thompson in Glory Denied with Union Avenue Opera, and Delbert Grady in the world premiere of Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell’s The Shining with Minnesota Opera and the remounted production with Opera Parallèle directed by Brian Staufenbiel.
Other projects include premieres by Libby Larsen, Missy Mazzoli, Jocelyn Hagen, Kevin Puts, and Nico Muhly. Ensemble and chamber appearances include Transept, Minnesota Bach Ensemble, The Schubert Club, Dallas Museum of Art, Vocal Essence, The First Readings Project, and Cantus Vocal Ensemble, with whom he performed for three full seasons, touring all over the world at locations like NPR, Kennedy Center, A Prairie Home Companion, and the Royal Opera House of Muscat, Oman.
Equally at home on the concert stage, David has appeared as the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, in addition to Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Mozart’s Requiem and Mass in C minor, Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and Beethoven’s Mass in C. He also performs the many works of J.S. Bach including Magnificat, St. John Passion, St. Matthew Passion, and numerous Cantatas, of which his solo in BWV 80 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Robert Spano was claimed as a “vocal standout” and “right down the traditional line of a fine Bach tenor” by ARTS ATL.
David is a 2017 Sullivan Grant Winner with the William Matheus Sullivan Foundation. He won 2nd Place and Italian Diction award in both the Marcello Giordani Foundation International Vocal Competition and Opera Birmingham Vocal Competition. Other competitions include a finalist in the 2021 concours de chant with Opéra Clermont Auvergne in France, District Winner in Minnesota for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and third place in the 2021 International Vocal Competition with the Rochester Oratorio Society.
