Baritone Nicholas Ward has been hailed as a performer of “effortless voice and agile presence” (Houston Press). He is so excited to return to Birmingham after winning the 2019 Opera Birmingham Vocal Competition and performing in the Catch a Rising Star series. He has performed in opera across the country with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Theater, Florida Grand Opera, Union Avenue Opera, Opera Fayetteville, Opera in the Heights, Central City Opera, and many more. He is currently a resident artist with LYNX Project, an art song non-profit that focuses on newly composed works that amplify underrepresented voices. He will appear on their debut album, “beautiful small things” set for release in March 2022. Other concert and recital appearances include “Opera Up Close” at Governor’s State University, CCPA’s PianoFest, and concerts with the Saugatuck Center for the Arts and the Crested Butte Music Festival. He is a three-time Regional Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and a finalist for the Luminarts Competition, the Opera Guild of Dayton Competition, and FAVA’s Grand Concours de Chant. He received his degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Cincinnati-CCM. He was raised in Pontiac, Michigan, and currently resides in Chicago, Illinois.

For more information, visit www.nicholasjward.com.