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discipline = "Tenor"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1572811086/media/2019/11/DavidPortilloArielleDoneson_qhsgd2.jpg"
primary_image_credit = "Arielle Doneson."
related_companies = ["scene/companies/washington-national-opera.md"]
slug = "david-portillo"
title = "David Portillo"
website = "https://davidportillotenor.com/"
[[social_media]]
platform = "Facebook"
template = "social-media"
url = "https://www.facebook.com/davidportillotenor"
[[social_media]]
platform = "Twitter"
template = "social-media"
url = "https://twitter.com/elportillo"

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Praised by Opera News for “high notes with ease, singing with a luxuriant warm glow that seduced the ear as he bounded about the stage with abandon,” American tenor David Portillo has established himself as a leading classical singer of his generation.

In the 2019-2020 season, he will return to the Metropolitan Opera to debut the role of Steuermann in a new production of _Der fliegende Holländer_, conducted by Valery Gergiev and opposite Bryn Terfel, the Metropolitan Opera and Washington National Opera for performances of Tamino in _Die Zauberflöte_, Bayerische Staatsoper as Pasquale in _Orlando Paladino_, and Mr. Rodriguez in the world-premiere of _Awakenings_ by Tobias Picker at Opera The atre of St. Louis. David Portillo’s 2018-2019 season included a return to the Metropolitan Opera for a role debut as the Chevalier de la Force in _Dialogues des Carmélites_, a return to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for Arbace in _Idomeneo_ with Sir Andrew Davis, an opera he performed for his debut with the Teatro Real in Madrid, but as Idamante, and finally, Oper Frankfurt and the Glyndebourne Festival as Tamino.

On two separate occasions in the season, Mr. Portillo returned to his hometown of San Antonio, Texas for a role debut as Alfredo in _La traviata_ with Opera San Antonio, as well as a solo orchestral program of Italian repertoire with the San Antonio Symphony with Sebastian Lang-Lessing.

Orchestral engagements included a return to the Los Angeles Philharmonic for Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, and Haydn’s _Lord Nelson Mass_ with Gustavo Dudamel, an appearance with Grant Gershon and the Los Angeles Master Chorale for Mozart’s _Requiem_, and _Carmina Burana_ with DePaul University as part of the opening celebrations of the Holtschneider Performance Center.

Finally, he joined the Minnesota Orchestra for performances of Bach’s _Christmas Oratorio_, the New York Choral Society for Tippett’s _A Child of our Time_ at Carnegie Hall, the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis for Handel’s _Messiah_, and El Paso Choral Society for first performances of Verdi’s _Requiem_.

In the 2017-2018 season, David Portillo made a splash in two role debuts at the Metropolitan Opera, first as Eduardo in Thomas Adès’ North American premiere of _The Exterminating Angel_, then as Camille de Rosillon in _The Merry Widow_.

He performed Count Almaviva in _Il barbiere di Siviglia_ with Houston Grand Opera, and Don Ottavio in _Don Giovanni_ for his debut with Dallas Opera.

In the summer of 2018, Mr. Portillo made two important house debuts, at the Deutsche Oper Berlin as Count Libenskof, and the Bayerische Staatsoper as Pasquale in _Orlando Paladino_. Orchestral highlights of the season included Mozart’s _Requiem_ with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl.

Past seasons on the operatic stage include appearances at the Metropolitan Opera (Count Almaviva, Jacquino in _Fidelio_), Lyric Opera of Chicago (David in _Die Meistersinger_, Trin, _La fanciulla del West_, Andres in _Wozzeck_), Houston Grand Opera (Tamino), Opera Australia (Ferrando in _Così fan tutte_), Washington National Opera (Don Ramiro in _La Cenerentola_), Metropolitan Opera/Juilliard Opera (Renaud, _Armide_), Opera Philadelphia (Don Ottavio, _Don Giovanni_), Glyndebourne Festival (David in _Die Meistersinger_), Opera Theatre of St. Louis (Don Ottavio; Ferrando), Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (Pedrillo), Opera Philadelphia (Dr. Richardson in _Breaking the Waves_), Pittsburgh Opera (Belmonte, _Die Entführung aus dem Serail_; Count Almaviva), San Diego Opera (Don Ramiro), Arizona Opera (Ralph Rackstraw, _HMS Pinafore_, Tonio), Palm Beach Opera (Count Almaviva, Ernesto in _Don Pasquale_), the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy (Ferdinand, _The Tempest_), and the Saito Kinen Festival in Japan (Gonzalve, _L’heure espagnole_). Mr. Portillo has also made important European debuts in recent seasons, including the Wiener Staatsoper (Count Almaviva), Dutch National Opera (Pedrillo in _Die Entführung aus dem Serail_), Oper Fra nkfurt (Tamino), The English Concert (Lurcanio in _Ariodante_), Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (Pedrillo, Lurcanio), Salzburg Festival (Don Gaspar in Donizetti’s _La favorite_), and with Opera Angers-Nantes (Narciso).

With orchestra, David Portillo has appeared as the tenor soloist in Verdi’s _Requiem_ and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Phoenix Symphony and Colorado Music Festival, and Haydn’s _Creation_ with the Colorado Music Festival. In Handel’s _Messiah_, he has performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony and Richmond Symphony. He has performed as the tenor soloist in Schumann’s _Das Paradies und die Peri_ with the Netherlands Radio Orchestra. With Washington Concert Opera, he has performed Tebaldo in concert performances of _I Capuleti e i Montecchi_.