Alfred Walker, Bass-Baritone

A native of New Orleans, Bass-baritone Alfred Walker made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1997 as Gregorio in Romeo and Juliet.  Since then, he has appeared in Met performances of Samson et Dalila, Fidelio, Pelléas et Mélisande, Busoni's Doktor Faust, The Gambler, Eugene Onegin, Wozzeck, Rigoletto, Idomeneo and most recently as the Armchair in Ravel's L'enfant et les Sortilèges.  Recent performances include his debut with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Sir Colin Davis in Beatrice and Benedict, an engagement with the Boston Symphony as the Doctor in Pelléas et Mélisande in Carnegie Hall, an appearance with Central City Opera as Ford in the newly co missioned work, Gabriel's Daughter by Mollicone, and a concert performance of Strauss' Salome at the Tanglewood Festival with Seiji Ozawa.

Performances last season included Publio in La Clemenza di Tito with Minnesota Opera, Ferrando in Il Trovatore with Tulsa Opera, Mephistopheles in Faust with Portland Opera (Maine) and Nilkantha in Lakmé with Opera Ontario.  Mr. Walker also made his ASO debut in Lincoln Center singing Mahler's Kindertoten and Ruckert Lieder with Leon Botstein conducting.  Mr. Walker returned to the Metropolitan this season for roles in Elektra and Les Troyens, the Metropolitan Opera's tour of Japan, Leporello at Opera North and the Verdi Requiem in Portland, Oregon.

Next season he will return to Tulsa Opera as the Four Villains in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, to Minnesota Opera for Sarastro in Magic Flute, andas Donner in Wagner's Das Rheingold with New Orleans Opera.

Mr. Walker's 1999-2000 season included his Wolf Trap Opera debut as Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress and the Sprecher in The Magic Flute, before returning to the Met for performances of Madama Butterfly, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, and Pelléas et Mélisande.  He also appeared as Colline in La Boheme with the New Orleans Opera where he has sung roles in Macbeth, Andrea Chenier and Madama Butterfly.

Engagements in 1998-99 included debuts with Boston Lyric Opera in the title role of Le Nozze di Figaro, and with Opera Theatre of St. Louis as Nourabad in The Pearl Fishers.  He also performed the Verdi Requiem with the Louisiana Philharmonic.  Mr. Walker joined the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program in the fall of 1997 after being named a regional finalist in the 1996 Met National Council Auditions.  A graduate of Dillard University and Loyola University, Mr. Walker is the recipient of many distinguished awards including the George London Foundation, Palm Beach Opera Competition, Houston Opera Studio's Eleanor McCollum Competition, and most recently, the prestigious Sullivan Foundation career grant.

Mr. Walker has worked with many renowned conductors including James Levine, James Conlon, Seiji Ozawa, Julius Rudel and Valery Gergiev. Video credits include Met productions of Samson et Dalila and featured on PBS' Live from Lincoln Center.  He can also be heard on Deutsche Grammophon's newly released Verdi Album with Placido Domingo.