Will Upham is an emerging tenor whose voice has been described as “clear and precise” (St. Louis Arts Scene), “full-bodied” (Opera Today), and possessing “just the right edge” (Broadway World). He has built a diverse portfolio of principal and cover roles with leading American opera companies and academic institutions, marking him as a tenor of both promise and accomplishment. In the 2025–2026 season, Will appeared as Borsa and covered the Duke of Mantua in Verdi’s Rigoletto with Indianapolis Opera. He will return to the role of Herod in Strauss’s Salome with West Bay Opera in Palo Alto, California, in February.

During the 2024–2025 season, Will made a series of significant professional debuts. He performed Herod in Salome with Union Avenue Opera, a role he first covered at Des Moines Metro Opera in 2024 while also appearing as First Jew. That same summer, he returned to Des Moines Metro Opera to cover Steuermann in Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. With Indianapolis Opera, he sang Action and covered Tony in Bernstein’s West Side Story, continuing a growing relationship with the company. Previous appearances with Indianapolis Opera include Tamino and Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte, Donald Hopewell in Douglas Moore’s Gallantry, and the VA Psychiatrist in Veteran Journeys.

In 2024, Will completed his academic training at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. With IU Opera and Ballet Theater, he performed Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd and originated the role of Comrade Belka in the workshop premiere of Hennessy’s Swimming in the Dark. In 2023, he was a Resident Artist at The Glimmerglass Festival, where he sang Benvolio and covered Roméo in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.

An active concert soloist, Will recently performed as Jesus in Beethoven’s Christ on the Mount of Olives and sang the tenor solos in Beethoven’s Mass in C Major with The Masterwork Chorus in Morristown, New Jersey. He also appeared as Uriel in Haydn’s The Creation at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. Additional recent concert performances include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria at Second Presbyterian Church.

In addition to his performing career, Will is a dedicated teacher. He currently serves as an Adjunct Voice Instructor at both Anderson University and Taylor University in Indiana, where he teaches applied voice and mentors young singers preparing for professional careers and graduate study. His teaching is grounded in extensive stage experience and a commitment to building healthy, sustainable vocal technique.

Will earned his Performer Diploma in Voice from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from DePauw University. His honors include Indiana Resident Winner of the Heartland Sings Vocal Competition (2024), the Jimmy and Kay Garrison Student Grand Prize at the Orpheus Vocal Competition (2023), the Roy and Sue Johnson Opera Theatre Award at SMU (2022), and Concerto Competition Winner at DePauw University (2020). He was also a semifinalist in the American Pops Orchestra’s NextGen Competition (2020) and held multiple performance fellowships and assistantships throughout his graduate studies.

Represented by Atwater Reed Artists, Will balances a growing national career with a strong commitment to his Indiana roots. Through performance, teaching, and outreach, he invests deeply in his home community. His artistry reflects both the rigor of his training and the honesty of his personal journey, making him equally at home in the opera house, the concert hall, and the classroom.