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Engagements
Liquid sound & admirable dynamic span.
"Portillo - an accomplished recitalist - did more with shaping words and voiced the part with liquid sound and admirable dynamic span."
Opera News
Tamino, The Magic Flute | The Metropolitan Opera
2026/27 Season
Achingly beautiful & an unqualified pleasure to hear.
LA OPUS | Don Giovanni, Santa Fe Opera 2024
"Tenor David Portillo’s Don Ottavio was as classically refined as his Italian singer in the previous evening’s Der Rosenkavalier was Italianate. The role and his voice were perfectly suited. Portillo has many of iconic tenor Fritz Wunderlich’s qualities in voice, timbre and interpretive skill. The second of his arias, the hugely difficult Il mio tesoro, has defeated many a tenor. Portillo’s rendition was achingly beautiful and an unqualified pleasure to listen to."
Past Highlights
Opera
Tamino | The Magic Flute
The Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Pittsburgh Opera
Don Ottavio | Don Giovanni
Santa Fe Opera, Hyōgo Performing Arts Center, Opera Philadelphia
Ferrando | Così fan tutte
The Dallas Opera
Dr. Richardson | Breaking the Waves
Opera Philadelphia (premiere), Detroit Opera, Houston Grand Opera
Nemorino | L'elisir d'amore
Calgary Opera
Tonio | La fille du régiment
Minnesota Opera
Hades | Eurydice (Aucoin)
Boston Lyric Opera
Nadir | Les pêcheurs de perles
Austin Opera
Septimus | Theodora
Musik Theatre an der Wien, Music of the Baroque
Bénédict | Beatrice et Bénédict
Irish National Opera
Bajazet | Tamerlano
Haymarket Opera
Pane, La Natura, Furia | La Calisto
Festival d'Aix-en-Provence
Lysander | A Midsummer Night's Dream
Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival
Jupiter | Semele
Dutch National Opera
Frederic | Pirates of Penzance
Seattle Opera
Idomeneo | Idomeneo
Boston Baroque
Concert
Jacquino | Fidelio | Los Angeles Philharmonic | Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
Tenor Soloist | Britten's Serenade for Strings, Tenor, and Horn | Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra | Richard Egarr, conductor
Jephtha | Jephtha | Music of the Baroque | Jane Glover, conductor
Pirro | Rossini’s Ermione | Washington Concert Opera | Antony Walker, conductor
Tenor Soloist | Mozart Requiem | San Francisco Symphony, Manfred Honeck, cond. | Philadelphia Symphony, Harry Bicket, cond.
Tenor Soloist | Carmina Burana | Lyric Opera of Chicago | Enrique Mazzola, conductor
Recital
Lawrence University Performing Arts Series with Craig Terry, piano
Vocal Arts DC, Kennedy Center with Craig Terry, piano
Cleveland Art Song Festival with Craig Terry, piano
Texas Christian University with Yasuko Oura, piano
Lyceum Series at Baylor University with Yasuko Oura, piano
Awards & Recognition
Sphinx Medal of Excellence, Sphinx Organization
Grammy Nominee, 2024 for John Corigliano’s Lord of Cries
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