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 2023-2024 season, Mr. Blalock rejoined the Metropolitan Opera’s roster to cover Pong in Turandot, made his highly anticipated return to Madison Opera as Valcour in The Anonymous Lover with Madison Opera, and joined MidAmerica Productions, Inc as the tenor soloist in Schubert’s Mass in G and Forrest’s The Dawn From On High. In the previous season, Mr. Blalock joined Madison Opera as Second Jew in Salome, sang the Duke in Rigoletto with Opera Columbus, and covered Anthony in Sweeney Todd with Opera Tampa.  A champion of contemporary works, he performed Macduff in Working for the Macbeths at the American Lyric Theatre. Additional engagements included returning to the Metropolitan Opera in his role debut as Gastone in La traviata and covering Thierry and Chaplain in Dialogues des Carmélites.  

 

In 2021-2022, he made a thrilling house debut with Bar Harbor Music Festival as Ferrando in Così fan tutte, returned to the Metropolitan Opera for their productions of Turandot and Ariadne auf Naxos, debuted the role of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Pensacola Opera, made his Opera Columbus debut as Alfredo in La traviata and performed a recital with Madison Opera. In the summer of 2022, he joined St. Croix Valley Opera for a concert and reprised Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with the Northern Lights Music Festival. In early 2021, he joined Atlanta Opera as Young Thompson in a recorded production of Glory Denied.

 

During the 2019-20 season, Mr. Blalock made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Pong in Turandot and joined Pensacola Opera to sing Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni. Mr. Blalock also made his debut with the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra as the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah and joined the Firelands Symphony Orchestra for a concert of Mozart, Puccini, and Verdi. COVID19 cancellations included the title character in Orpheus in the Underworld at Madison Opera, Frederic in Pirates of Penzance at Virginia Opera, Jaquino in Fidelio with South Dakota Symphony and a reprisal of Count Almaviva in On Site Opera's acclaimed production of Paisiello's Barber of Seville at Caramoor. 

 

Mr. Blalock began the 2018-2019 season as Pelléas in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande with West Edge Opera, followed by a return to Virginia Opera as Sam Kaplan 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 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.

 

2017-18 season highlights include Mr. Blalock’s 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 his 2016-17 season included his debut with Washington National Opera performing the Ring Announcer in Champion, Nikolaus Sprink in Silent Night with Atlanta Opera, Rodolfo in La bohème with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony and Second Jew in Salome with Minnesota Orchestra. In 2015-16. Mr. Blalock kept busy, performing both Handel's Messiah and Pong (Turandot) with the Pacific Symphony, Roderigo in Otello with the Minnesota Orchestra, Tobias in Sweeney Todd with Mill City Summer Opera, a Viennese operetta concert with the Richmond Symphony, Beethoven's Choral Fantasy at UN Assembly Hall with the Shanghai Symphony, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well in Paris with Performance Santa Fe, a return to Virginia Opera as Steuermann in The Flying Dutchman, Count Almaviva in the North American premiere of Portugal's The Marriage of Figaro with On Site Opera, and spent the summer of 2015 with Opera Saratoga as Ricky in the world premiere of Jeremy Howard Beck's The Long Walk.

 

In the 2014-2015 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, Tobias 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 Glow Lyric Theatre.  In 2013, he performed the role of Young Thompson in Glory Denied and covered Rodolfo in La bohème with Opera San Jose. As a Virginia Opera Emerging Artist, Mr. Blalock was seen as First Priest in The Magic Flute, Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos and Le Remendado in Carmen. He also had the opportunity to complete two summers as an apprentice with Santa Fe Opera where he sang Bertram in Rossini’s La donna del lago, Infirmary Patient in the world premiere of Theodore Morrison’s Oscar and covered the roles of Welko and Jankel in Strauss’ Arabella. 

 

Mr. Blalock has received major awards from The Sullivan Foundation, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the Charlotte Opera Guild Vocal Competition among others. He completed his undergraduate degree from University of North Carolina in Greensboro and was also a member of the Maryland Opera Studio at University of Maryland where he achieved his Master of Music degree.