Praised for his "fine tenor voice" (Winston-Salem Journal), David Blalock is becoming widely known for his beautiful lyric tone and his varied repertoire. In the 2023-24 season, Mr. Blalock made an exciting return to Madison Opera where he sang the title role in The Anonymous Lover by Chevalier de Saint-Georges. He then returned to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Pong in Turandot, and joined MidAmerica Productions as the tenor soloist in Schubert's Mass in G and Forrest's The Dawn from on High at Carnegie Hall. Upcoming performances include a return to the Metropolitan Opera, L'elisir d'amore  with Opera Grand Rapids, a recital with Mr. Balock's wife, soprano Jeni Houser at Charlottesville Opera, and Bruckner's Te Deum with Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra.

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Last season, Mr. Blalock began with a reprisal of Ferrando in Così fan Tutte with the Newport Music Festival and returned to Madison Opera to sing Second Jew in Salome. He then debuted the role of the Duke in Rigoletto with Opera Columbus, covered Anthony in Sweeney Todd with Opera Tampa, performed Macduff in Working for the Macbeths with American Lyric Theatre, and returned to the Metropolitan Opera where he sang Gastone in La Traviata and covered Thierry and Chaplain in Dialogues des Carmélites. Mr. Blalock also reprised Alfredo in La Traviata with Opera Columbus, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Indianapolis Opera, and was scheduled to reprise Young Thompson in Glory Denied with Permian Basin Opera (cancelled due to COVID).

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In 2021-22, Mr. Blalock returned to the Metropolitan Opera for productions of Ariadne auf Naxos and Turandot. Other engagements during the season included Ferrando with Bar Harbor Music Festival, Tamino with Pensacola Opera, a recording of Glory Denied with Atlanta Opera, and a residency at Texas Tech University with Jeni Houser. He ended his season by reprising Tamino with the Northern Lights Music Festival and singing a concert of opera arias and highlights with St. Croix Valley Opera.

 

In addition to his Metropolitan Opera debut as Pong in Turandot, Mr. Blalock's  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.

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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.

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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. 

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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 Bohème 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.  Mr. Blalock 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.

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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 2013-14 season, Mr. Blalock was seen as First Priest in The Magic Flute, Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos and Le Remendado in Carmen. From 2012-13, Mr. Blalock spent two summers as an apprentice with The Santa Fe Opera, singing Bertram in Rossini’s La Donna del Lago, Infirmary Patient in the world premiere of Theodore Morrison’s Oscar, and covering Welko and Jankel in Strauss' Arabella. In the spring of 2013, Mr. Blalock made his Fort Worth Opera debut as Young Thompson in Tom Cipullo’s Glory Denied, while also covering Rodolfo in La bohème. He spent the summer of 2011 as a studio artist with Central City Opera, singing Morales in their family performance of Carmen. 

From 2009-11, Mr. Blalock 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. Mr. Blalock 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.

 

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