Biography
3 time Grammy Award-winning tenor David Morgans is known for his riveting performances and dynamic voice. In the 2023/24 season, Mr. Morgans returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Ally in the critically acclaimed X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X. He was thrilled to debut Lensky in Opera Baltimore’s Eugene Onegin, and returns to cinemas worldwide.
Mr. Morgans appears as Julio (a tenor) in the feature film, She Came to Me (directed by Rebecca Miller) alongside Anne Hathaway, Peter Dinklage, and Marissa Tomei. The movie’s worldwide cinema release was October 2023. She Came to Me is currently available to stream on most platforms.
David appeared as James Keller in TOUCH with Birmingham Opera, and debuted the role of Aret in Jupiter’s Journey to Earth with the Little Opera Theater of New York. At Charlottesville Opera, he will cover Nemorino in L’elixir d’amore , and will end his summer with the St. Stephen’s Music Festival, reprising the role of Nate in Highway 1, USA.
In 2022-2023, Mr. Morgans performed at Des Moines Metro Opera, singing the role of Mingo and covering Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess; and he appeared in scenes as Il Duca (Rigoletto), and Nadir (Les pêcheurs de perles). He performed Mr. Charles in Ricky Ian Gordon’s Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater, and sang the role of Laurese Glover in Blind Injustice with Opera Theater of the Rockies. David finished out the season as Nate in Highway 1, USA. with the Little Opera Theater of New York. The production in which he was to perform Rodolfo at Florentine Opera’s La Boheme was canceled due to COVID.
The 2021-2022 season began with Mr. Morgans opening the Metropolitan Opera’s new season as Pledge in Fire Shut Up In My Bones. There (MetOpera), he reprised his role as Prayer in Porgy and Bess, performed chorus in the Met’s performances of Verdi’s Requiem and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, and the Live in HD production of Boris Godunov. Mr. Morgans could also be seen as chorus in their productions of Die Meistersinger and La Boheme.
2020-2021 was the last season of COVID-19 lockdown, and Mr. Morgans was a resident artist at Portland Opera where he debuted Uncle Mac in Night Trip, and sang several recitals. A highlight from his concert work is singing Hailstork’s cantata for solo tenor and chorus, I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, in a concert with Hunter College.
The 2019- 2020 season found Mr. Morgans as a finalist in the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center Competition hosted by the Chicago Lyric Opera. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Prayer in their new production of Porgy and Bess.
The 2018-2019 season began with Mr. Morgans’ New York City debut as Rodolfo (La Boheme) with City Lyric Opera in performances that were praised as “one of the best we've heard” (Voce di Meche). In the spring of 2019, he was an Apprentice Artist with Sarasota Opera. Under the baton of Maestro Victor DeRenzi, he sang several concerts as various Verdian heros such as Don Alvaro (La Forza del Destino), Jacopo (I due Foscari) and Henri (Les vêpres Siciliennes) in addition to concert work as Gerald (Lakmé). Mr. Morgans spent that summer making his first introduction to New York City Opera covering the role of Renata in the world premiere of Stonewall by Iain Bell with libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning librettist Mark Campbell.
Resume Headshot
Photo by Gia Goodrich | VEV Studios
Schedule highlightS
Past Performances
Che gelida Manina
La Boheme - Giacomo Puccini
Eric Malson - Piano
October 2024
Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön
Die Zauberflöte - W. A. Mozart
Emily Baltzer, piano
July 2024 - Charlottesville Opera
I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes (2017)
-
William Jewell College Concert Choir; David M. Sanchez (Tenor); Robert Lamar Sims (Piano); Anthony J. Maglione (Conductor)
-
William Jewell College Concert Choir; David M. Sanchez (Tenor); Robert Lamar Sims (Piano); Anthony J. Maglione (Conductor)
-
William Jewell College Concert Choir; David M. Sanchez (Tenor); Robert Lamar Sims (Piano); Anthony J. Maglione (Conductor)
Instagram Feed
Reviews
Little Opera Theater of New York
“Haydn wrote some of the loveliest music in the piece for Aret and Narcissa, which the vibrant tenor David Morgans and the enchanting soprano Sara Lemesh sang with gleaming youthful tone.” (New York Classical Review - May 2024)
“…David Morgans pouring out his craven self-loathing in a fierce tenor as the useless Nate” (New York Classical Review - June 2023)
“David Morgans as Nate demonstrates a powerful tenor.” (TheaterScene.Net - June 2023)
Des Moines metro opera
“David Morgans as Mingo dominated the craps scene with an ebullient spinto tenor that is sturdy, pleasantly grainy, and very personalized.” (Opera Today - July 2022)
City Lyric Opera
“"Tonight" from Bernstein's West Side Story opened the program with a bang. We were very taken with Cristina Maria Castro's bright clear soprano when we heard her recently at the City Lyric Opera gala. Tenor David Morgans is new to us and made a fine impression as Tony falling in love with her Maria. The two artists convincingly portrayed the dawning of love in clearly sung English; they touched our heart.
The lucky Mr. Morgans got to make love to two women in one evening. His scene partner in "O soave fanciulla" from Puccini's La Bohême was the marvelous Maria Brea, a soprano we have long admired ever since Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance. We would not want to be asked to prefer one love scene over the other. There was not a "false note" in either portrayal of new love. We wished they had been performed consecutively because the first scene put us in a "new love" mood.
Mr. Morgans' solo was "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" from Franz Lehar's Das Land des Lächelns. He began in good German and switched to English for the final verse, a nice move we thought.”
Broadway’s Golden Age
“…"The Fugue for Tinhorns" from Frank Loesser's "Guys and Dolls" follows along with "Sit Down, You're Rocking The Boat" from the rollicking revival scene in Act II. Both are big chorus numbers led by the character Nicely-Nicely Johnson here embodied by excellent tenor David Morgans.
David Morgans has lucked out. Much of the best music from the "Golden Age" was written for high tenors. It was a time before vocal amplification and the tenor voice range carried better in Broadway theaters. …” (Broadway World)
Heartland Men’s Chorus Word Premiere: We the unknown
“… David Morgans, Unknown Soldier #2, who sang of the struggles of being a black man in the military at that time, had the fieriest section that erupted into applause at its end. …” (KC Metropolis) (HMC)
Check out the episode Chronicle that details the world premiere here!
Lesbian Gay Band Association National Conference finale Concert 2018
“… a piece [The Nine by Randall Standridge] featuring tenor vocal soloist David Morgans (who sang beautifully even as his text was reduced to a single line repeated throughout the work.)…” (KC Metropolis)
I will Lift Up mine Eyes (Album)
“… A very vigorous, exuberant tenor!…” (Classics Today)
UMkC Conservatory Opera’s Gianni Schicchi
“…Kelly Birch and [David Morgans] were comic and clever as Zita and Gherardo.…” (KC Metropolis)
Opera: Opera@newclassicalartists.com
Concert: concert@newclassicalartists.com
(646) 801-7306