A native of St. Louis, Missouri, American bass-baritone Vince Wallace is a versatile performer with broad performing experience ranging from skilled ensemble performances to a variety of solo roles and orchestral appearances. Currently based in Chicago, Mr. Wallace has appeared regularly with the Lyric Opera of Chicago since 2008; as a member of the ensemble, and as the Usher in Rigoletto. For the 2008/2009 season, Vince performed with Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Fransisco Opera and the Metropolitan Opera (NYC) productions of Porgy & Bess in the ensemble; covering and going on to perform a small roles. Mr. Wallace was singing at The Metropolitan Opera house for the first half of their 2021-22 season which included the premiere of Fire Shut Up In My Bones (Blanchard). He performs with the Grammy Award-winning Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in several programs including their encore and live rendering of the scores to The Lord of the Rings at the Ravinia Festival. Locally, he sings with Chicago Opera Theater, Florentine Opera and Des Moines Metro Opera, the Grant Park Music Festival as well as numerous chamber ensembles and churches in the area.
Previous work includes the title role in Le nozze di Figaro as a part of Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance, Superintendent Budd in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring, Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, the Jailor in Tosca with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Benoit and Alcindoro in La boheme, both Leporello and the Commandatore in Don Giovanni with American Chamber Orchestra, The King in The King & I, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, and Uncle Max in The Sound of Music. Solo orchestral performances include appearances as Pilatus in the St. John Passion and Judas and Jesus in St. Matthew's Passion.
In keeping with his early love for contributing to quality vocal ensembles, Vince performed with the world famous Westminster Choir (2005), was a member of The University of Rochester’s Midnight Ramblers (2007-8), and the Vox Vocal Ensemble in NYC (2007).
In 2013, covered the role of Daland in The Flying Dutchman and performed the role of Mordcha in Fiddler on the Roof with Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater, and was awarded 1st Place in the Utah Festival Opera Concoso Lirico International Opera Competition which lead to his being sent to Alessandria, Italy to represent the United States as an international finalist in the Concorso Internazionale di Musica, Cappuccilli - Patané - Respighi (2013).
He has been seen as a soloist with the Schola Angelorum (2013), DuPage Chorale (2015), DePaul Community Chorus, Elgin Symphony/Master Singers (2018), Tower Chorale and University of Chicago (2016-18), Elgin Symphony/Master Singers (2018). He conluded a 5-week tour performing the role of Orpheus in Jason and the Argonauts with Lyric Opera of Chicago's outreach program, Lyric Unlimited (Fall 2016) and covered the role of Dizzy Gillespie in Charlie Parker's Yardbird (Spring 2017). Next, he was Mr. Kofner from The Consul and Mr. Lister from Elizabeth Cree with Chicago Opera Theater (2017-18) and returned to COT playing a lead role, Queequeg, in Moby Dick (2019) and Tommie in Freedom Ride (world premiere, 2020). He will sing at Florentine Opera in La Boheme (Alcindoro/Benoit) this Spring (2022) and covering the roles of Foreman/Adult James in Fire Shut Up In My Bones at Lyric Opera Chicago the same year. Also upcoming, he will perform the role of Sid in Britten’s Albert Herring, also with Chicago Opera Theater. Vince sings the National Anthem for various Chicago Bulls, Bears and Cubs games and other local sporting events throughout their respective seasons.