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David Portillo
TENOR
A rich sound and melting phrasing.
"The tenor David Portillo, who was a standout at the Met last spring in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, was wonderful as Tamino: a rich sound, melting phrasing during moments of lyrical reverie and impressively crisp diction."
The New York Times
Tamino | The Metropolitan Opera
Meet David.
Mexican-American tenor David Portillo has performed leading roles on opera stages and concert halls around the world including The Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Santa Fe Opera, the Bayerrische Rundfunk Orchester and the Dallas Opera. The upcoming 2025/2026 season sees Mr. Portillo’s return to Houston Grand Opera, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Saito Kinen Festival in Matsumoto, Japan. He will also debut roles at Seattle Opera and Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam.
In 2024, Mr. Portillo received The Sphinx Medal of Excellence, an award given to artists who provide leadership in Latino and Black communities for their distinguished artistic excellence. He is also a Grammy nominee for the recording of John Corigliano’s Lord of Cries with Odyssey Opera in a role he created at the Santa Fe Opera.
David now resides in Zug, Switzerland with his husband and dog Ruthie.
A powerful, nimble,
gleaming voice.
"David Portillo delivered an exceptionally peevish Pirro, his powerful voice nimble and gleaming, especially his Act I aria ("Balena il man del figlio") and his Act Il duet with the reluctant Andromaca ("Ombra del caro sposo!")."
The Washington Post
Pirro, Ermione | Washington Concert Opera
Recent news
and projects.
David Portillo is an avid performer of new work, having premiered roles in new operas including Missy Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves, Thomas Ades’ The Exterminating Angel, and Matt Aucoin’s Eurydice. After creating the role of Johnathan Harker in John Corigliano’s Lord of Cries at the Santa Fe Opera, he then reprised the role for a Grammy-nominated recording of the piece with Odyssey Opera, earning praise for his "clear and true," "breathtaking" portrayal.
Discover David's Grammy-nominated recording here.
A youthful, wonderful tenor.
"The young Steersman, charged by Daland with keeping watch, was the youthful tenor David Portillo, wonderful in the role as he sweetly sings a love song to the girlfriend he soon will see."
New York Times
Steuermann, Der fliegende Hollände, The Metropolitan Opera
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