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The Amrican bass-baritone, David Ward, is a graduate of the College of Wooster, Ohio, where he majored in Religious Studies, he is a long time resident of New York where he studies with the renowned Armen Boyajian.
David Ward is one of America's rising basso buffos, bringing his dazzling patter, his hysterical stage presence and his "shining bass" to productions of comic opera across the country. The 2000-2001 season brings his 18th production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia in which he portrays his critically-acclaimed Dr. Bartolo. "Splendidly crotchety and fussy - he stole the show." His "inspired" Bartolo has been seen on tour twice with the New York City Opera National Company under Maestri Joseph Colaneri and Christopher Larkin, as well as at Nevada Opera, Knoxville Opera, Kentucky Opera, Lake George Opera Festival, Opera Idaho, Toledo Opera, Virginia Opera, El Paso Opera, Opera Roanoke, Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts and the Aspen Music Festival. A "wonderful character actor, with a stellar voice," Mr. Ward's "lovable" and "brilliant" Bartolo "carries the show. His bursts of patter were fast, furious and crystal clear."
David Ward is also acclaimed for his Donizetti roles as Don Pasquale, Sulpice, and Dr. Dulcamara. His Lake George Opera Festival Don Pasquale "was superb," deemed a "show-stopper" and "lovable" and he returns to Nevada Opera in 2003 for a new production with Buck Ross. An American tour, again with the New York City Opera National Company, of La Fille du Regiment brought him acclaim as an "outstanding" Sulpice. Opera News wrote of his Dulcamara, that "Ward juggled dizzying patter and demanding stage business with aplomb" while Opera Canada called his Dulcamara "dazzling." Ward's Dulcamara has been heard on tour as well as at Virginia Opera, El Paso Opera and Milwaukee's Skylight Comic Opera.
David Ward made his New York City Opera debut as Dr. Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, a role he also sang for Roanoke Opera and Opera Idaho. Other recent Mozart performances include Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte for the Chattanooga Symphony and the Commendatore in Don Giovanni for Lake George Opera Festival, under Maestro Daniel Beckwith.
A versatile bass, David Ward sang Fra Melitone in La Forza del Destino last season for New York Grand Opera in Central Park, where he returns this summer to sing the title role in Falstaff. He was highly praised for his Sacristan in Tosca, both at Opera Ontario, his Canadian debut and Opera Delaware, and for his Benoit and Alcindoro in La Boheme at New Orleans Opera.
David Ward made his Santa Fe Opera debut in the world premier of David Lang's Modern Painters under the baton of Maestro George Manahan. His Carnegie Hall debut was in Norman Dello Joio's Nativity. He has also made appearances with Utah Opera, Sarasota Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Sacramento Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Des Moines Opera and National Grand Opera.
David Ward has made a name for himself in operetta portraying Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow. "David Ward as Zeta was a comic jewel." Ward's comedy has been called "masterful," "hilarious," and "ebullient." His other operetta roles include Prince Populescu in Countess Maritza, Van Bett in Lortzing's Zar und Zimmerman, Calchas in Offenbach's La Belle Helene, Orlovsky, Franke and Frosch in Die Fledermaus, Kecal in The Bartered Bride and numerous roles in the Gilbert & Sullivan canon, among them The Mikado, Pooh-Bah and J. W. Wells. Mr. Ward returns to the Lake George Opera Festival in Saratoga Springs this summer as Sir Joseph Porter in HMS Pinafore.
With his roots in musical theater, David Ward portrayed the evil judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd for Portland Opera. His other musical theater roles include Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, Charlemagne in Pippin and Horace Vandergelder in Hello Dolly! |
