GENERAL INFORMATION
AWARDS, COMMISSIONS and SELECTED PERFORMANCES
2015 Grant from the town of Dedham, MA to perform The Swallow and The Prince
2012 Hamlet after William Shakespeare, Commissioned, selections performed, Boston Metro Opera
2012 Fire Chant, Commissioned by Non-Verbal Sacred Chants
2011 Birthday On The Moon Second Place Long Leaf Opera Competition
2010 Alone Gd. Sufficeth Director’s Prize Longfellow Chorus Competition
2010 Antigon performed: Main-stage Award BMO International Composer Competition: Opera Division
2010 Blessings on Your Home First Place BMO International Composer Competition: Choral Division
2010 Edward II Full Length Opera in Six Tableaux Professionally recorded by Acting Singers Project
2009 Psalms of Peace (# V) Performed at Old South (# I: earlier at King's Chapel under Daniel Pinkham)
2003 The Swallow and The Prince An Opera in One-Act Premiered by Acting Singers Project
2001 Kali Three Short Operas in One-Act Premiered in concert by Acting Singers Project
2000 The Sin-Eater Dramatic Monologue Cablecast on BNN TV
2000 The Acting Singers Project for BNN TV
1995 The Journey (Selections) An Opera in One-Act Premiered by Kinetic Dance Theater of Moscow
1992 6 Snapshots for Flute used in Auto-Portamatic, a video by TJ Norris
1992 Auto-Portamatic shown at the Outlook Film & Video Festival in NYC at the Outlook
1990 Pinocchio Commissioned and performed, by The Marblehead Ballet
1990 The Balcony scene from incomplete full length opera cablecast on BNN TV
1990 Invocation for Organ Commissioned by the American Guild of Organists for the Biennial National Convention in Boston; published by E. C. Schirmer
1980s Music for Crazy Dinosaurs (animation)
EDUCATION
Post-Graduate Studies in Opera: New England/Boston Conservatory (Scholarship offered)
Doctoral work in Composition: Boston University (Fellow in Ear Training and Keyboard Harmony)
Master of Arts in Voice: Trenton State Teacher’s College (Teaching Assistant in Ear Training)
Bachelor of Music in Composition: Julliard (Honorary Scholarship: Sophomore year)
TEACHERS
Composition: Calvin Hampton; Juilliard: David Diamond, Otto Leuning, and Vincent Persichetti;
Boston University: Joyce Mekeel, John Thow, and David Del Tredici;
Rutgers University: Contemporary Counterpoint: Robert Moevs;
Juilliard Prep (age 17): Robert Huffstader and Lawrence Widdoes;
University of Vermont Summer Session for High School Students (age 16): Mel Solomon;
Private Harmony, Counterpoint and Composition (age 13-16): Marilyn Keiser.
Voice: Juilliard: Oren Brown; Metropolitan Opera: Jeffrey Gall and Jerome Hines,
Vocal Coaches: New England Conservatory: Michael Strauss; and Metropolitan Opera: Valery Ryvkin
Piano: Kiriena Zilotti, Thomas Richner, James Scott, and Phyllis Lehrer (collaborative piano).
Guitar (age 10-12): Martha Blackman.
COMPOSER RESIDENCIES
Music Director: Prime Time for Kids at Massasoit College, Brockton, MA
Composer and Singer: Putnam Court Musicians, Marblehead, MA
Music Director: Music Now and Now Dance, Boston, MA
Music Director: Acting Singers Project, Boston, MA actingsingersproject.com
PRESS
"Walther is a formidably prolific composer; he writes music constantly and has a seemingly endless stream of ideas for new projects..."
Roger Edmonton, The Advocate.
"Easily the highlight of the concert were several arrangements by David Edgar Walther... Especially satisfying was Walther's setting of three familiar folk songs, a medley that managed to sidestep all the stereotypes with a version of Simple Gifts that owed absolutely nothing to Aaron Copeland's. Walther's touching arrangements of Long Time Ago set Mary Saunders' rich, soprano peeping through the lush harmonic haze of flute and guitar like the sun through the clouds.'
George W. Harper, Beverly Times.