DAVID WALTON
TENOR
BIOGRAPHY
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 2025-2026 season, Mr. Walton returns to Toledo Opera in his role début as Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore. He is also pleased to return to Virginia Opera in one of his signature roles, Ramiro in La Cenerentola. Additionally, he will return to Opera San Antonio, reprising his role as Tamino in Barry Kosky’s production of Die Zauberflöte, and looks forward to bringing his celebrated Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia to his hometown company, Nashville Opera. On the concert stage, he will début with Virginia Symphony Orchestra in their Messiah. In the 2024-2025 season, Mr. Walton brought his Almaviva to Minnesota Opera and Madison Opera and débuted with the South Florida Symphony in their staged Candide. Additionally, he made his role début as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Livermore Valley Opera, where San Francisco Classical Voice praised him for his, “sweet tenor [that] also had the sturdiness needed for Ottavio’s more forthright moments” and made his role début as Alfred in Die Fledermaus with Lyric Opera of the North. On the concert stage, he returned to the South Dakota Symphony in an all Bach/Mozart program, joined Columbus Symphony and Pacific Symphony for Handel’s Messiah, débuted the Evangelist in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Winona Symphony, and made his Carnegie Hall début for Bach’s Magnificat and Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore.
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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.
An accomplished concert soloist, 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.
Current as of July 23, 2025
CRITICAL ACCLAIM
"...chilling in his casual charm and suavity..." – Opera News
The Shining – “…tenor David Walton as Delbert Grady, the previous caretaker who murdered his wife and two daughters, was equally chilling in his casual charm and suavity”
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"... [he] could make anything into a sweet serenade." – Times Union
Il barbiere di Siviglia – “The Count was played by tenor David Walton whose voice could make anything into a sweet serenade.”
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"... requisite clean, clear voice of the hero..." – Duluth News Tribune
Die Zauberflöte – “As the tuxedoed Tamino, tenor David Walton’s ‘Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön’ offered the requisite clean, clear voice of the hero as he affably endured his character’s trials and tribulations.”
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"...he captures all the frustration and shyness [...] the perfect voice
for this role..." – Daily Camera
Albert Herring – “Tenor David Walton sings Albert, and he captures all the frustration and shyness of this repressed innocent. … Walton has the perfect voice for this role, and he’s most impressive in Act 2, scene 2, which is almost completely his soliloquy.”
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"...sweetest singing of the evening..." – Star Tribune
Don Pasquale – “The sweetest singing of the evening came from tenor David Walton, as Pasquale’s nephew Ernesto. A true lyric tenor with strong Italianate stylings, he poured a taste of honey on the top notes in Act One’s “Sogno soave e casto,” as well as on Act Three’s love song to Norina.”
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"...a fine singer whose vocal quality was smooth, lyrical and capable of scaling the heights." – The Virginia Pilot
La Cenerentola – “Tenor David Walton was a handsome prince and a fine singer whose vocal quality was smooth, lyrical and capable of scaling the heights.”
REPRESENTATIVES
General