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The American tenor, Nathan D. Ward, came from an eclectic musical background, drawing on study of piano, cello, and composition to inform his singing. A graduate of Lee's Summit North High School, he went on to study vocal performance at The University of Missouri at Columbia and completed a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music in Evanston, Illinois in 2016, where he studied with Karen Brunssen. There he played Sam Polk in Carlile Floyd’s Susannah, Basilio in W.A. Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Howard Boucher in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, and Richard Dauntless in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore, and also collaborated as a soloist in W.A. Mozart's Requiem, Kile Smith’s Vespers with the Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble, and Benjamin Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings.
Nathan Ward was Section Leader at Alice Millar Chapel in Evanston, Illinois (September 2014-March 2016); and Freelance Pianist at UNC Greensboro, North Carolina (September 2016-May 2017). In the summer of 2016, he sang Sheldon in Later the Same Evening as a Bonfils-Stanton studio artist in the summer of 2016. Other highlights include Lysander in B. Britten's A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Chicago Summer Opera, Peter Quint in B. Britten's The Turn of the Screw with Chicago Fringe Opera, and Jimmy Reno in Opera for the Young’s Elixir of Love. In summer 2017, he returned to Central City Opera in Colorado as an apprentice, singing Remendado in Georges Bizet's Carmen and Tom in Amy Beach’s only opera, Cabildo. He was a member of Opera Colorado 2017-2018 Young Artist Program (since September 2017).
Nathan D. Ward died unexpectedly October 23, 2018, aged 28, in Lee's Summit, Missouri where he also lived. His youth was full of sports and music. His leadership in Boy Scouts shined bright as Nathan achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in Troop 391 at Our Lady of the Presentation in Lee's Summit, Missouri. He was an accomplished musician and an active member of the opera community. From a young age as a cellist, pianist, and vocalist to his years performing opera around the country, his unique spirit drew people close to him like family. He was known on stage and in his personal relationships for his deep devotion, intellect, and empathy. Whether performing a German song cycle, playing a cooperative game, or engaging in a philosophical discussion, Nathan always wanted to do more, learn more, and understand the world, himself, and his people on a deeper level. Like an explorer, he challenged everyone who knew him to evolve constantly and think differently. |
