David Walker.
Apollo’s Fire, the Baroque orchestra based in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois, has appointed David Walker as managing director. He will work with Founder and Artistic Director Jeannette Sorrell and serve as the organization’s administrative leader. During his 18-year career as a Baroque countertenor, Walker performed with opera houses and orchestras across the U.S. and Europe. As an arts administrator, he most recently served as general and artistic director of the Palm Beach Opera, where he raised over $40 million in contributed income; spearheaded marketing strategies; increased the quality of the company’s artistic production and young artist training; expanded its free education and community engagement activities; and led the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Prior to Palm Beach Opera, Walker was director of development at North Carolina Opera and in development and marketing positions with the Glimmerglass Festival and Sarasota Opera. He is a guest lecturer on the business of performing arts and serves on vocal competition panels, including the Metropolitan Opera Laffont National Council Auditions—a competition he won in 1998. Walker holds a Bachelor of Arts in industrial engineering, a Master of Music in vocal performance, and a Master of Arts and Master of Business Administration.
