A dynamic pianist of immense versatility, Peter Walsh brings the highest standard of pianism to his work as a recitalist, orchestral keyboardist, and assistant conductor. Walsh has been hailed by Opera News for his “especially solid and prominent playing” and “warmly expressive” touch. He has played for more than 40 opera productions at theaters across the United States including LA 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 2022-23 season Walsh joins the LA Opera music staff full time for productions of Puccini’s Tosca, Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, and Verdi’s Otello, and as pianist and coach for the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program. He additionally joins the music staff of San Francisco Opera for the world premiere of John Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra in celebration of the company’s centenary season.
Walsh began the 2021-2022 season at LA Opera playing Verdi’s Il trovatore conducted by music director James Conlon. He returned to Opera Omaha for I Capuleti e i Montecchi and assisted Roberto Abbado with Rossini’s La Cenerentola (rehearsal pianist/harpsichord continuo) at LA Opera. Walsh concluded 2021 in collaboration with the Los Angeles Master Chorale for Handel’s Messiah (rehearsal pianist/harpsichord continuo) at Walt Disney Concert Hall. In 2022 he continued his relationship with San Diego Opera playing Così fan tutte (rehearsal pianist/harpsichord continuo). He concluded the 2021-22 season at LA Opera assisting James Conlon with Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (rehearsal pianist/harpsichord continuo) and Verdi’s Aida.
Despite many cancellations in the 2020-2021 season due to Covid-19, Walsh was engaged as orchestral pianist for Stravinsky’s Oedipus rex at LA Opera and as orchestral keyboardist for San Diego Opera’s drive-in production of Puccini’s La bohème under the baton of Rafael Payare. He collaborated with baritone Rod Gilfry in a virtual recital for Vocal Arts DC, and with sopranos Tasha Koontz and Liv Redpath in recitals in San Diego and San Clemente. Walsh additionally presented his own virtual solo piano recital in November of 2020 and maintained a private, online studio of piano students and coaching clients throughout the pandemic.
Walsh began the 2019-2020 season at San Diego Opera where he assisted Joseph Colaneri with a concert production of Verdi’s Aida. He presented a recital with baritone Rod Gilfry at Messiah College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and assisted Mary Chun with the world premiere of Carla Lucero’s Juana (rehearsal pianist/orchestral harpsichordist) at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Walsh concluded 2019 at LA Opera with Barrie Kosky’s acclaimed silent film production of The Magic Flute (rehearsal pianist/fortepiano soloist) under the baton of James Conlon, and returned in 2020 to assist Eun Sun Kim with Roberto Devereux. Walsh was further engaged to play I Capuleti e i Montecchi at Opera Omaha and Porgy and Bess at the Washington National Opera, both of which were postponed due to Covid-19.
In the 2018-2019 season Walsh joined the music staff of Opera Omaha for productions of Pagliacci and L’elisir d’amore (rehearsal pianist/continuo). He additionally joined Utah Opera for The Magic Flute, and returned to LA Opera for Hansel and Gretel starring Susan Graham. Other engagements included a recital with baritone Rod Gilfry and the world premiere workshop reading of Carla Lucero’s Juana at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Walsh concluded the season at Central City Opera where he played and coached Madama Butterfly and prepared, accompanied, and conducted a unique double bill of Debussy’s La damoiselle élue and Poulenc’s Litanies à la Vierge Noire from the piano and organ respectively, to both critical and public acclaim.
Walsh is a graduate of the prestigious Houston Grand Opera Studio (2016-2018) and the LA Opera Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program (2014-2016). While at the Houston Grand Opera, Walsh was charged with playing the company’s most ambitious programming, including productions of Nixon in China, Götterdämmerung, and Elektra. While at LA Opera from 2014-2016 he was a member of the music staff for numerous company productions. Significant performance credits at LA Opera include engagements as fortepiano soloist for Barrie Kosky’s The Magic Flute, harpsichord continuo for Paisiello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, and orchestral pianist in concert with Renée Fleming and Andrea Bocelli.
An active recitalist, Walsh has performed in Carnegie Hall under the auspices of the Marilyn Horne Legacy at Carnegie Hall. During the 2016 and 2017 summer seasons he enjoyed an association with the Ravinia Festival, collaborating with the singers of the Steans Music Institute. Walsh has enjoyed a long term collaboration with baritone Rod Gilfry, and has collaborated in performance with Gilfry and legendary mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. He has participated in the Music Academy of the West, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar.
As a soloist, Walsh was awarded first prize in the MTAC State Solo Competition and first alternate in the regionals of the MTNA Young Artists’ National Competition. He performed as a finalist in the Loeb/Louviere International Competition at the Wilshire Ebell, and has been a featured soloist with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. His performances of chamber music have been broadcast on Classical KUSC. Walsh 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 completed his doctorate with academic distinction, pursuing minor fields in music theory and analysis, keyboard collaborative arts, and jazz studies. For his doctoral lecture recital, Walsh presented a performance and exploration of the opera paraphrases of Franz Liszt.
A skilled improvisor, Walsh has worked as a répétiteur for the Los Angeles Ballet and the City Ballet of LA. He performed across Southern California in collaboration with City Ballet of LA as part of their Concerto Project, and collaborated with renowned dancer Desmond Richardson (Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) for the inaugural gala of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Walsh performed with American Ballet Theatre as orchestral keyboardist for Stravinsky’s Firebird featuring principal dancer Misty Copeland. Most recently, he played orchestral celesta for the Los Angeles Ballet’s Nutcracker at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.
Beyond his work in the operatic and instrumental arenas, Walsh served as the choral accompanist for the Bob Cole Conservatory at CSU Long Beach from 2013-2014. He collaborated with the award-winning Bob Cole Chamber Choir in performance of Dominick Argento’s Peter Quince at the Clavier: Sonatina for Mixed Chorus and Piano Concertante at the 2013 National Collegiate Choral Organization conference in Charleston, South Carolina. He additionally assisted in the choral preparation of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem at Walt Disney Concert Hall — a milestone collaboration between USC, the Colburn School, CSU Long Beach, CSU Fullerton, and Chapman University.
From 2007-2012 Walsh was an assistant lecturer in keyboard studies for the USC Thornton School of Music. He has held additional faculty appointments at El Camino College (2011-2014), the University of La Verne (2012-2013), and the California State Summer School for the Arts (2013, 2014, & 2017).