David Young

Adept in a wide range of the performing arts, David Young is often recognized for his “immense versatility” and “great moves, dancing, and singing.”

David started his vocal training when he was only 8 years-old with Relana Luss at the Bay Area Theater and Voice Academy. From 2007-2016, he performed in over 25 musicals with the academy and competed several times at the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, Georgia where he also performed the role of Doctor Dolittle in the 2012 premiere of Doctor Dolittle JR. David earned his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance at DePauw University, where he studied with Caroline Smith and was awarded the prestigious Fitzpatrick Opera Award. Recently, David made his professional debut with Opera Grand Rapids as Martin Halstrom in Penny by Douglas Pew.

While at DePauw, David performed in a variety of musicals, operas, plays, and short films, such as A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Monty Navarro), La bella dormente nel bosco (Il Principe), Macbeth (Macbeth), Cendrillon (Le Prince Charmant), Le nozze di Figaro (Don Basilio), Young Frankenstein (Victor Frankenstein, The Hermit), and Street Scene (Harry Easter). He was also a winner of the 2017 and 2019 DePauw Concerto Competition, where he performed Mozart's “In quegl’anni,” and R. Strauss' “Heimliche Aufforderung” and “Morgen” in concert with the DePauw Symphony Orchestra.

In 2018, he performed the role of Eisenstein in Opera in the Ozark’s Die Fledermaus, where he was the youngest person in OIO’s history to perform a lead role in a mainstage production. In 2019, David joined the College Light Opera Vocal Company where he performed the roles of Captain Corcoran (H.M.S. Pinafore), Sir Francis Chesney (Where’s Charley?), Conrad Birdie (Bye Bye Birdie), George Banks (Mary Poppins), and Sir Roderic Murgatroyd (Ruddigore).

Throughout the pandemic, David achieved great success in numerous competitions across the nation. Some of these included Opera Grand Rapids' Collegiate Vocal Competition (1st Place), the 2020 Dayton Opera Guild Tri-State College Vocal Competition (1st Place), the 2020 National Association of Teacher's of Singing (NATS) National Auditions: Classical (1st Place), the 2020 NATS National Auditions: Musical Theater (2nd Place), the Classical Singer National Competition: College Classical Division (2nd Place), the 2020 SAS Performing Arts Company Vocal Competition (Finalist), the 2020 & 2021 James Toland Vocal Competition (Finalist), the 2020 Grand Concours Vocal Competition (Finalist), and the 2021 American Traditions Vocal Competition (Quarterfinalist).