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 has 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.