A dynamic pianist of immense versatility, Peter Walsh brings the highest standard of pianism to his multifaceted career as a pianist and vocal coach.  Walsh has been recognized by Opera News for his “especially solid and prominent playing” and “warmly expressive” touch.  A select member of LA Opera’s full-time music staff, he works closely with Music Director James Conlon on mainstage productions in addition to coaching the company’s Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artists.  He has played for more than 40 opera productions at a variety of theaters including LA Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, San Diego Opera, Opera Omaha, Utah Opera, Central City Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera.  His work has led to collaborations with renowned conductors Roberto Abbado, Joseph Colaneri, James Conlon, Gustavo Dudamel, Grant Gershon, Jane Glover, Eun-Sun Kim, Speranza Scappucci, Robert Spano, and Patrick Summers.  

In the 2023-2024 season, Walsh will play and coach Il barbiere di Siviglia, William Grant Still’s Highway 1, USA, Alexander Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg, and La Traviata at LA Opera, in addition to Handel’s Partenope at San Francisco Opera.  He will play keyboard continuo for performances of Partenope in San Francisco and Il barbiere di Siviglia in Los Angeles.  Walsh began the 2022-2023 season by joining the music staff of San Francisco Opera at the invitation of Music Director Eun-Sun Kim for the highly-anticipated world premiere of John Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra.  At LA Opera he played and coached productions of Puccini’s Tosca, Debussy’s elusive Pelléas and Mélisande, and Verdi’s Otello.  He performed with the LA Opera orchestra as orchestral keyboardist for Tosca, with the Los Angeles Ballet for Nutcracker, and at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for Michael Giacchino’s score to Batman, live with motion picture.

Walsh has been presented in recital at Carnegie Hall under the auspices of the Marilyn Horne Legacy at Carnegie Hall, by Vocal Arts DC, Ravinia, the Broad Stage, and Sundays Live at LACMA.  He has collaborated in performance with grammy-nominated baritone Rod Gilfry, legendary mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick, as well as many classical singers from his own generation including Mane Galoyan, Joshua Guerrero, Abi Levis, Aryeh Nussbaum-Cohen, Liv Redpath, and Amanda Woodbury.  He has performed with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, LA Opera Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Los Angeles Master Chorale.

As a soloist Walsh was awarded top prizes in the MTAC State Solo Competition and the MTNA Young Artists’ National Competition, and was a finalist in the Loeb/Louviere International Competition.  He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in piano performance from the USC Thornton School of Music where he studied with Lucinda Carver and Kevin Fitz-Gerald.  He was a participant of the the Music Academy of the West, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar.  He is a graduate of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program at LA Opera and the prestigious Houston Grand Opera Studio.