Tenor

American tenor David Blalock is becoming widely known for his beautiful lyric voice and varied repertoire. After making his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2019 as Pong in Turandot, David returns to the company in the 2021-22 season for their productions of Ariadne auf Naxos and Turandot. Other engagements for Mr. Blalock this season include Ferrando in Così fan tutte with Bar Harbor Music Festival, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Pensacola Opera and Northern Lights Music Festival, a residency at Texas Tech University with his wife Jeni Houser, and a recording of Cipullo's Glory Denied with Atlanta Opera. Further performances in the 2019-20 season included Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Pensacola Opera, his debut with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra for Messiah, and a concert of Mozart, Puccini, and Verdi with the Firelands Symphony Orchestra. Scheduled 2020 performances that were cancelled due to COVID-19 include a return to Madison Opera as the title character in Orpheus in the Underworld, a return to Virginia Opera as Frederic in Pirates of Penzance and a reprisal of Count Almaviva in On Site Opera's highly acclaimed production of Paisiello's Barber of Seville at Caramoor.

Mr. Blalock began the 2018-19 season as Pelléas in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande with West Edge Opera, followed by a return to Virginia Opera as Sam in Street Scene, Alfredo in La Traviata with Arizona Opera, Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore with Piedmont Opera, Mendelssohn's Lobgesang with the Duluth Symphony, and a return to Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Opera Hong Kong. He also joined Madison Opera for their summer Opera in the Park celebration, a concert of arias and opera highlights.

Highlights of the 2017-18 season included a debut with Opera San Jose as Ferrando in Così fan tutte, a concert of arias and opera highlights with the San Francisco Symphony, a role debut as the title character in La Clemenza di Tito with the Maryland Opera Studio, a return to Virginia Opera as Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Messiah with Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra and Virginia Symphony.

Performances in the 2016-17 season include his debut with Washington National Opera, performing the Ring Announcer in Champion, Roderigo in Otello with the Minnesota Orchestra, Nikolaus Sprink in Silent Night with Atlanta Opera, Rodolfo in La Boheme with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, the Second Jew in Salome with Minnesota Orchestra, and Count Almaviva in the North American premiere of Portugal's The Marriage of Figaro with On Site Opera. David spent the summer of 2015 as Ricky in the world premiere of Jeremy Howard Beck's The Long Walk at Opera Saratoga. His busy 2015-16 season included both Handel's Messiah and Pong (Turandot) with the Pacific Symphony, Toby in Sweeney Todd with Mill City Summer Opera, a Viennese Operetta concert with the Richmond Symphony, Beethoven's Choral Fantasy at UN Assembley Hall with the Shanghai Symphony, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well in Paris with Performance Santa Fe, and a return to Virginia Opera as the Steersman in The Flying Dutchman.

In the 2014-15 season, Mr. Blalock sang Jaquino in Beethoven’s Fidelio with Madison Opera, Don Ottavio in North Carolina Opera’s production of Don Giovanni, Jonathan Dale in Silent Night with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Toby in Sweeney Todd at Virginia Opera, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Paisiello) with On Site Opera, and debuted as Rodolfo in La Bohème with Greenville Lyric Opera. As a Virginia Opera Emerging Artist during the 2013-2014 season, David Blalock was seen as First Priest in The Magic Flute, Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos and Le Remendado in Carmen. David has also recently completed his second summer as an apprentice with The Santa Fe Opera, singing Bertram in Rossini’s La Donna del Lago, and singing Infirmary Patient in the world premiere of Theodore Morrison’s Oscar. In the spring of 2013, David made his Fort Worth Opera debut as Young Thompson in Tom Cipullo’s Glory Denied, while also covering Rodolfo in La bohème. As a first-year apprentice with Santa Fe Opera in 2012, David covered the roles of Welko and Jankel in Strauss’ Arabella. David spent the summer of 2011 as a studio artist with Central City Opera, singing Morales in their family performance of Carmen.

From 2009-11, David was a member of the Maryland Opera Studio in College Park, MD, as a baritone. He sang several roles with the Studio, including Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Riolobo in Daniel Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas, and The Ring Announcer in the world premiere of Shadowboxer, an opera detailing the life of boxer Joe Louis. David has performed as a young artist with the Seagle Music Colony and Ash Lawn Opera, singing roles in La Cenerentola, La bohème, The Magic Flute, and Brigadoon. He received his undergraduate degree from UNC Greensboro in 2009, where his credits include roles in La Vida Breve, The Ballad of Baby Doe, and The Tender Land.