David Walton

David Walton has made numerous appearances across the country as an up-and-coming lyric tenor. Recent roles include Count Almaviva, “a reedy tenor with requisite Rossini high notes” (The Wall Street Journal) in Francesca Zambello’s new production of Il barbiere di Siviglia at The Glimmerglass Festival and Ernesto in Don Pasquale with Minnesota Opera, where David was hailed as “a true lyric tenor with strong Italianate stylings” and credited with “the sweetest singing of the evening” (Star Tribune). Other performances include the title role in Albert Herring, Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and Tonio in La fille du régiment. 

David spent two years as a member of Minnesota Opera’s prestigious Resident Artist Program. There, he sang Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Tybalt in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and debuted the shepherd Silvio in a new production of the Lorenzo Da Ponte rarity L’arbore di Diana by Vicente Martín y Soler. Other credits as a Resident Artist include multiple world premieres, including covering Larry Renault in William Bolcom’s Dinner at Eight and singing Delbert Grady in Paul Moravec’s The Shining, where Opera News described Mr. Walton as “equally chilling in his casual charm and suavity.” Most recently, he returned to Minnesota Opera as Happy Felsch in the world premiere of The Fix and made house debuts with Cincinnati Opera, Forth Worth Opera, Madison Opera, and Opera Carolina. 

Mr. Walton participated as a Young Artist with The Glimmerglass Festival, singing Count Alberto in L’occasione fa il ladro, Parpignol in La bohème, and the tenor solo in Rossini’s Stabat Mater. He also sang in the Gerdine Young Artist Program at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as The Student in Puccini’s La rondine and Belmonte in a scene of Die Entführung aus dem Serail with the St. Louis Symphony. David sang with Cantus Vocal Ensemble for three full seasons, touring the country and the world appearing at The Kennedy Center, The Royal Opera House of Muscat Oman, NPR Tiny Desk, and A Prairie Home Companion.

David is a 2017 Sullivan Grant Winner with the William Matheus Sullivan Foundation. He won 2nd Place and Italian Diction award in the 2017 Marcello Giordani Foundation International Vocal Competition, 2nd place and Audience Choice Award with the 2017 Opera Birmingham Vocal Competition, and was District Winner in Minnesota for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Concert highlights include recitals with the Schubert Club and the JOYA Concert Series with players of the Minnesota Orchestra, performances of Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and Mozart’s Requiem with orchestras such as the Reno Philharmonic, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony, Rogue Valley Symphony, and the Minnesota Bach Ensemble. David has also sung multiple concerts with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Robert Spano in Bach’s Magnificat and Cantata BWV 80, Handel’s Messiah, and Jaquino in Beethoven’s Fidelio. 

Upcoming performances include Mozart’s Requiem with the National Lutheran Choir, Ramiro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola with Virginia Opera, and Dan White in a new production of Harvey Milk by Stewart Wallace with Opera Parallèle in San Francisco.