Praised for his “clean, clear voice,” David Walton dazzles stages across the country to critical acclaim. As Tybalt in the recent production of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Mr. Walton was described as “the production’s only good villain … a tightly coiled ball of restless anger” (The Pioneer Press). This season, he sings the title role in Albert Herring with Union Avenue Opera, a Summer in the Park concert with Madison Opera, Salome with Minnesota Orchestra, Ernesto in Don Pasquale with Minnesota Opera, as a soloist in “A Three Tenor Christmas” with Chanhassen Dinner Theater, Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Madison Opera and Brava! Opera Theatre, and Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Glimmerglass Festival.

Last season, Mr. Walton’s engagements included performing the role of Ernesto in Don Pasquale with Brava! Opera Theater, débuting the role of Silvio in a new production of the Lorenzo Da Ponte rarity: L’arbore di Diana, and covering Larry Renault in Minnesota Opera’s world première of William Bolcom’s Dinner at Eight. Recently in his final season of the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program, Mr. Walton performed an array of roles including Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Ed Mavole in the world première of Manchurian Candidate, Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos, Spoletta in Tosca, and Postiglione in La fanciulla del West. He also sang in the world première of Paul Moravec’s The Shining as Delbert Grady where Opera News praised him as “equally chilling in his casual charm and suavity.”

Mr. Walton made his Glimmerglass Festival début in La bohème and Count Alberto in Rossini’s L’occasione fa il ladro. He also covered Reverend Parris in Francesca Zambello’s staging of The Crucible and sang Frederic in a special excerpt from The Pirates of Penzance for special guest Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a member of their Young Artist Program. Other recent engagements include the title role in Zémire et Azor with Opera for the Young and Ernesto in Don Pasquale with Atlantic Music Festival. As a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, he performed in La rondine, sang Belmonte in the Center Stage Concert with the Saint Louis Symphony, and covered the role of Matthew Gurney in Tobias Picker’s Emmeline.

Recent concert highlights include the tenor solo in Händel’s Messiah with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and Rogue Valley Symphony, Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang with Lipscomb University, Cantata BWV 43 with Atlantic Music Festival, Rossini’s Stabat Mater at the Glimmerglass Festival, and Cantata BWV 88 with the Minnesota Bach Ensemble. Mr. Walton also performed theatrical roles including a Soldier in All is Calm with Theatre Latte Da & Cantus, Ned Poins in Henry IV Pt. 1, Lun Tha in The King and I, and Fenton in The Merry Wives of Windsor all with Oxford Shakespeare Festival.

David was the Upper Midwest regional finalist at the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. He was also awarded the Twin Cities’ “Next Step” grant by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. Mr. Walton holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Harding University and a Master a Music in Vocal Performance degree from the University of Mississippi where he performed Marco in The Gondoliers and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi.