Ballard Opera Man’s Socially Distanced Serenades

In the uncertain early days of the pandemic, opera singer and vocal teacher Stephen Wall spent hours in his home office with his window cloaked, creating a musical dungeon where he could continue Zoom calls with his opera students. But as isolation overwhelmed him, he remembered that his passion for music came from the privilege of sharing it with the world. So in March, he began stepping outside to perform daily opera concerts from his lawn in east Ballard. These regular shows provide Wall a sense of normalcy and balance absent since the pandemic began. But for his neighbors and the visitors who make pilgrimages from all over the city to see him sing, it's a way to rejoice and come together — even while 6 feet apart.