William Davenport is receiving attention for his strong yet lyric tenor and Italianate style. Tim Smith of The Baltimore Sun said, “William Davenport has the makings of a significant tenor. There’s an immediately expressive and appealing quality in the timbre, one with quite an Italianate tint…” Upon his role debut of the Duca from Rigoletto with the Italian Opera Festival of Orange County, the Italian news reported, “The biggest ovation, however, was for William Davenport. The young tenor demonstrated a huge vocal ability.” His other leading roles include Edgardo with the Baltimore Concert Opera, the title role in Les Contes Hoffman, Alfredo in La Traviata, Riccardo in Verdi’s Oberto and Un Ballo in Maschera while attending the Academy of Vocal Arts and while obtaining his degree from Peabody Conservatory sang Des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, and Tamino in the Magic Flute.
Amongst his recent engagements have included; Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore with the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Valencia, Opera Delaware, Baltimore Concert Opera, Orlando Philharmonic; Rodolfo in La bohème with Opera Naples under the baton of Ramón Tebar and Potenza, Italy as winner of the first OperaLive Competition; Ernesto in Don Pasquale with Opera Naples, role debut of Roberto Devereux at Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova, and role debut of Arnold in Guglielmo Tell with the Southern Illinois Music Festival; role debut of Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgiaalongside Mariella Devia with the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Valencia; and Alfredo at the Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova. Having just sung his first Lenski in Eugene Onegin, Mr Davenport looks forward to upcoming Opera Galas with Opera Delaware, Southwest Opera, and the Costa Rican National Symphony Orchestra. He will also be revisiting two of his favorite roles as Rodolfo in La bohème, and as Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore with Charleston Opera Theater.
In concert Mr. Davenport has performed: Verdi Requiems with the Austin Symphony, National Philharmonic, Round Top Festival, Tuscia Opera Festival, Princeton Symphony, and New Jersey State Opera; Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living at Carnegie Hall; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Cathedral Choral Society and Concert Artists of Baltimore; Dvorák’s Mass in D with Columbia Pro Cantare; Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with Opera Delaware and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria at the Peabody Conservatory of Music.
He is a Winner of the Veronica Dunne International, Opera Orchestra of New York Agnes Varis, Gerda Lissner Vocal, Giargiari Bel Canto, Licia Albanese, and Loren L. Zachary Society Competitions. He is a 2015 graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.
Photographer: Lauren Sowa