Zachary Nelson, a native of Annapolis, Maryland, studied vocal performance at The Catholic University of America, and later the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. He has sung a number of roles for Santa Fe Opera, including the title role in Le nozze di Figaro, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, and most recently Marcello in La bohème.

The baritone made a major role debut during the summer of 2021, as the title role in Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd with Des Moines Metro Opera. During the 2021-2022 season, Zachary is engaged with Lyric Opera of Chicago for its production of L’elisir d’Amore, and sings Marcello in La bohème with both New Orleans Opera and the Jacksonville Symphony.

Zachary Nelson was an ensemble member at Semperoper Dresden, where roles included Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Marcello in La bohème, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Guglielmo in a new production of Così fan tutte. Additional career credits include Donner in Das Rheingold, Ping in Turandot, and Marcello in La bohème with Lyric Opera of Chicago; Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus with the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy; Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with Pittsburgh Opera; and Escamillo in Carmen with Den Norske Opera in Oslo, Canadian Opera Company and San Francisco Opera.