David Charles Tay

Instructor of Voice

Hailed as one of "Singapore’s finest operatic talents," tenor David Charles Tay is celebrated for his versatile artistry, expressive musicality and a voice described as “delightful in warmth and impressive in projection.” His work spans operatic, concert and recital stages across Asia, Europe and the United States.

In May 2025, Tay appeared as Jason in Charpentier’s Médée as part of the Voilah! Festival, commemorating 60 years of diplomatic ties between France and Singapore. In the United States, he has performed with the Bronx Opera Company, Bare Opera NYC, dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, The Center for Contemporary Opera and American Opera Projects and was a featured artist with the Metropolitan Opera Guild from 2020 to 2023. He made his operatic debut in the U.S. premiere of Paisiello’s Nina, o sia pazza per amore at the Manhattan School of Music in 2007.

Recent roles include the Male Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia), Eumete (Il ritorno d’Ulisse), Tito (La clemenza di Tito), Florestan (Fidelio), the Dwarf (Der Zwerg), Alessandro (Il re pastore) and Bardolfo (Falstaff), for which Opera News praised him as "a vocal standout." His performance as Arnalta in L’incoronazione di Poppea was similarly acclaimed by Opera News as "hypnotic, affecting and amusing," and sung with "bold clarity."

Other operatic credits include Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), Fritz (L’amico Fritz), Peter Quint (The Turn of the Screw), Harlequin (Der Kaiser von Atlantis), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Piquillo (La Périchole), Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) and Pluto (Orpheus in the Underworld).

Tay is equally accomplished in contemporary music. He recently performed Nico Muhly’s Stranger with the Avalon String Quartet and Impossible Things with the Wayfarer Sinfonietta in Singapore. Other notable appearances include Thomas Cabaniss’ Firesongs (Bare Opera, National Sawdust), Victoria Bond’s Gulliver’s Travels (American Opera Projects) and world premieres of Mark Alan Taggart’s Swan’s Inlet and Tony Manfredonia’s Ghost Variations.

His concert repertoire includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Coffee Cantata, Easter Oratorio and St. Matthew Passion, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella and Britten’s Serenade for Tenor and Horn.

As Artistic Director of The Opera People, Tay leads one of Singapore’s most prolific and innovative opera companies. Their productions—praised as "packed full of outstanding musical and dramatic value"—explore technology, accessibility and social relevance to reimagine the operatic experience. Since 2018, the company has produced seven seasons of work, including nine full-length operas, the curated recital series In Our Manner of Speaking and a range of digital and commissioned programs.

In addition to performing, Tay is a sought-after voice teacher, repertoire coach and choral clinician. Since 2011, he has been the vocal coach for the Anglo-Chinese Junior College Choir and its alumni ensemble, preparing them for concerts, recordings, international tours and competitions—earning top accolades at festivals such as the Tampere Vocal Music Festival and Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. He regularly leads workshops for school and community choirs in both Singapore and the United States.