Piano & Voice Teachers
Mary Carpenter Davis is a long-time pianist and teacher in the metro and southeastern regions of Minnesota. Although her first (and inadvertent) teachers were her brothers, at age four she began formal study with Marion Theel and went on to study with Charlotte Marvick Donhowe, James D. Johnson, Diana Lee Metzger and, most recently, Julia Elkina.
A lifelong performer, Davis specializes in collaborative work. She is currently the composer-in-residence and a collaborative pianist for the Northfield Youth Choirs. In addition to her work with young singers, she is active as a teacher, composer, and church musician.
Melissa Holm-Johansen, a native of Halden, Norway, is a professional singer and voice teacher in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated cum laude from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, in 1998, with majors in vocal performance and music education. She also holds a D.M.A. in vocal pedagogy and performance from the University of Minnesota. A longtime member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Dr. Holm-Johansen is a recipient of the NATS Independent Teacher Award. She has a private studio in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where she teaches professional singers, emerging theater professionals, avocational singers, and aspiring young singers. Her students have advanced at the state, regional, and national levels of competition for both NATS, as well as MTNA (Music Teachers National Association). An ensemble singer as well as a solo artist, Dr. Holm-Johansen has sung with such professional ensembles as The Dale Warland Singers, The Singers – Minnesota Choral Artists, The Minnesota Beethoven Festival Chorus, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Chorale, and the Oratorio Society.
David Walton has made numerous appearances across the country as an up-and-coming lyric tenor. Recent roles include Count Almaviva, “a reedy tenor with requisite Rossini high notes” (The Wall Street Journal) in Francesca Zambello’s new production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia at The Glimmerglass Festival and Ernesto in Don Pasquale with Minnesota Opera, where David was hailed as “a true lyric tenor with strong Italianate stylings” and credited with “the sweetest singing of the evening” (Star Tribune). Other operatic appearances include the title role in Albert Herring with Union Avenue Opera, Belmonte in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Madison Opera, and Tonio in La fille du régiment with Opera Carolina.
David spent two years as a member of Minnesota Opera’s prestigious Resident Artist Program. There, he sang Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Tybalt in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. Other credits as a Resident Artist include multiple world premieres including covering Larry Renault in William Bolcom’s Dinner at Eight and singing Delbert Grady in Paul Moravec’s The Shining, where Opera News described him as “equally chilling in his casual charm and suavity.”
David made his Glimmerglass debut as Parpignol in La bohème and sang the role of Count Alberto in Rossini’s L’occasione fa il ladro as a member of their Young Artist Program. He also covered Reverend Parris in Francesca Zambello’s staging of The Crucible, performed the tenor solo from Rossini’s Stabat Mater, and played Frederic in a scene from The Pirates of Penzance for special guest Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg. As a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, David covered Matthew Gurney in Tobias Picker’s Emmeline, sang a Student in La rondine, and Belmonte in scenes from Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio with the Saint Louis Symphony. He also sang Azor in Opera for the Young’s tour of Zèmire et Azor by André Grétry and both Belmonte and Ernesto with Brava! Opera Theatre in Ashland, Oregon. He also sang with Cantus Vocal Ensemble for three full seasons, touring the country and the world appearing at The Kennedy Center, The Royal Opera House of Muscat Oman, NPR Tiny Desk, and A Prairie Home Companion.
David is a 2017 Sullivan Grant Winner with the William Matheus Sullivan Foundation. He won 2nd place and Italian Diction award in the 2017 Marcello Giordani Foundation International Vocal Competition, 2nd place and Audience Choice Award with the 2017 Opera Birmingham Vocal Competition, and was District Winner in Minnesota for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Concert highlights include performing the tenor solo in Handel’s Messiah with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, and Rogue Valley Symphony; Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang with Lipscomb University; Carmina Burana with the Virginia Tech Symphony; Cantata BWV 88 with the Minnesota Bach Ensemble; Bach’s Magnificat and Cantata BWV 80 with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Robert Spano. Future concert performances include recitals with the Schubert Club and JOYA concert series plus Mozart’s Requiem with the Reno Philharmonic and National Lutheran Choir.