David Walton

Praised for his “clean, clear voice,” David Walton dazzles stages across the country to critical acclaim as a versatile lyric tenor to watch. A favorite tenor of bel canto, Walton has frequented such roles as Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Tonio in La fille du régiment, Ramiro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola and Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia. His voice been described as a “plangent tenor tone” (Opera Today) and “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). Company appearances include Cincinnati Opera, Kentucky Opera, Virginia Opera, Minnesota Opera, and the Glimmerglass Festival in a new production by Francesca Zambello where Opera News labeled him “genuinely funny.” Other operas include Rossini’s L’ occasione fa il ladro and La scala di seta, Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Die Zauberflöte, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and Handel’s Acis and Galatea.

In the 2024-2025 season, Walton brings his celebrated Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia to Minnesota Opera and to Madison Opera. In his début with the South Florida Symphony, he sings the title role in their semistaged Candide, makes his role debut as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Livermore Valley Opera, and débuts with the South Dakota Symphony in an all Bach/Mozart program.

The 2023-2024 season saw Walton as Ramiro in La Cenerentola with Toledo Opera, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Annapolis Opera, Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia with North Carolina Opera, Filippo in Haydn’s L’ infedeltá delusa with Sarasota Opera, Ferrando in Così fan tutte with The Princeton Festival, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance with Opera San Antonio, debuting the title role in Candide with Northern Lights Music Festival. Continually in demand on the concert stage, he appeared as soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Boise Philharmonic, Bach’s St. John Passion with Five Cities Baroque Festival, and Mozart’s Mass in C minor with the Columbus Symphony.

 Walton 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 multiple productions as part of the New Works Initiative with Minnesota Opera such as The Shining by Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell, and Dinner at Eight by William Bolcom and Mark Campbell. Other projects include premieres by Libby Larsen, Missy Mazzoli, Jocelyn Hagen, Kevin Puts, and Nico Muhly. Ensemble and chamber appearances include 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, 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. 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.