David Ward is one of America's leading basso buffos, bringing his dazzling patter, his hysterical stage presence and his “shining bass” to productions of comic opera across the country. In over 20 productions of Il barbiere di Siviglia, he has portrayed his critically acclaimed Dr. Bartolo – twice on tour with the New York City Opera National Company, 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.

Mr. Ward is also acclaimed for his Donizetti roles: Don Pasquale at the Lake George Opera Festival, Sulpice La fille du régiment with the New York City Opera National Company, and Dr. Dulcamara L’elisir d'amore at Virginia Opera, El Paso Opera, Granite State Opera, Bob Jones University and the Skylight Comic Opera. Opera News wrote of his Dulcamara, “Ward juggled dizzying patter and demanding stage business with aplomb”.

Mr. Ward made his New York City Opera debut as Dr. Bartolo Le nozze di Figaro, a role he also sang for Roanoke Opera, Nevada Opera and Opera Idaho, and will sing for Greensboro Opera in 2005. Other recent Mozart performances include Don Alfonso Così fan tutte for the Chattanooga Symphony and the Commendatore Don Giovanni for Lake George Opera Festival.

A versatile bass, Mr. Ward returned to New York Grand Opera in 2001 in Central Park to sing the title role in Falstaff having sung Fra Melitone La forza del destino the previous year. At New York Grand Opera’s Puccini Festival in 2002, he appeared as Geronte Manon Lescaut and the Sacristan Tosca. His Sacristan has also been heard at Opera Ontario and Opera Delaware, and his Benoit and Alcindoro La Bohème at New Orleans Opera, Chautauqua Festival (2003) and for the Tokyo City Symphony in Japan.

During the 2002-2003 season, Mr. Ward returned to New York City Opera for productions of Gianni Schicchi, Le nozze di Figaro and Il barbiere di Siviglia. He also returned to Opera Nevada for Franke in Die Fledermaus, a role he reprises for Opera Grand Rapids in 2005. He also made his debut as Don Magnifico La Cenerentola at Bob Jones University, a role he reprised for Des Moines Metro Opera (2004) and Lyric Opera of San Antonio (2005).

Mr. Ward made his Santa Fe Opera debut in the world premier of David Lang's Modern Painters. He has also appeared with Utah Opera, Sarasota Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Sacramento Opera, and National Grand Opera. Mr. Ward has also portrayed such roles as Sancho Don Quichotte (in concert), the Musician Monk Le Jongleur de Notre Dame and Peter Quince A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Operetta roles include Baron Zeta The Merry Widow, Prince Populescu Countess Maritza, Van Bett in Lortzing's Zar und Zimmerman , Calchas in Offenbach's La belle Hélène, Franke and Frosch Die Fledermaus, Kecal The Bartered Bride and numerous roles in the Gilbert & Sullivan canon, among them The Mikado, a role he sang in 2004 with Mobile Opera and Anchorage Opera. He sang Sir Joseph Porter HMS Pinafore for the Lake George Opera Festival (2001). In 2004 he returned to Chattanooga to sing Dick Deadeye HMS Pinafore. Ward will bring his ebullient Baron Zeta to Fresno Grand Opera in 2006.

With his roots in musical theater, Mr. Ward played Judge Turpin Sweeney Todd for Portland Opera, Arizona Opera (2004) and the Princeton Festival (2005). Other musical theater roles include Pseudolus A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Tevye Fiddler on the Roof, Charlemagne Pippin, Hajj, the Poet Kismet and Horace Vandergelder Hello Dolly!

A native of Allendale, NJ, and a graduate of the College of Wooster, OH, Mr. Ward lives in New York City where he studies voice with Armen Boyajian and coaches with Richard Gordon.  Mr. Ward is a member of Actors' Equity Association and the American Guild of Musical Artists.

Season 2004/2005
 

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