Greg Walter, Singing, Musical Director (2003)
Greg Walter, a native of Frankfort, KY, holds a Bachelor of Music in voice from Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where he was a Theodore Presser Scholar in music.  He has been on the faculty of the School of Drama at NCSA this past year, teaching voice, music, and served as music director for STARTING HERE, STARTING NOW, directed by Donald Saddler.  He has made Chicago his home for the last fourteen years where he worked as an actor in music theatre.  An original cast member of Chicago’s company of FOREVER PLAID, he received a Joseph Jefferson award in the category “best ensemble”.  He was also “Jeff” nominated for “best actor” in Frank McCourt’s THE IRISH AND HOW THEY GOT THAT WAY, which he also music directed.  Most recently Greg was an original company member in the world premiere, THE VISIT, starring Chita Rivera at the Goodman Theatre.  He has performed in the 2002 and 2003 seasons at the Ravinia Festival as tenor soloist in A LERNER AND LOEWE CELEBRATION, conducted by Erich Kunzel; THE MUSIC OF RODGERS AND HART, as soloist and music director; and AN EVENING OF BERSTEIN, an original conception that he directed and music directed.  Greg served as music director for The National High School Institute’s “cherubs” program at Northwestern University in 2003 and will return again in August 2004.  His association with friend and pianist Kevin Cole expands over ten years beginning with three productions of FOREVER PLAID, R.S.V.P. JEROME KERN, an original Cole production of Kern’s music, and Concert Hall performance of Cole’s original music compositions in Chicago.  Greg has worked as an accompanist in over ten universities’ theatre and music departments throughout the South and Midwest.  He has worked privately as a vocal teacher, coach/accompanist for over fifteen years in Chicago and Nashville.  His voice can be heard in commercial jingles for Michelob and Trac Auto.  As a songwriter, his songs have been recorded by various cabaret singers in Chicago and his vocal arrangement of  “Down in the River to Pray” performed by the Chicago Chamber Choir can be found on the disc recording, At THE RIVER.  Greg studied voice with Marjorie Halbert at Belmont University and Walter Kirchner at the Shirwood Conservatory in Chicago, and piano with Linda Ford and Viola Fudge.