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, Virginia Opera in one of his signature roles as Ramiro in La Cenerentola, and Opera San Antonio, reprising his role as Tamino in Barry Kosky’s production of Die Zauberflöte. He also sings Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia in a hometown company début with 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 Mozart’s Mass in C minor and Bach’s Cantata BWV 159, 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.
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.