KEN
SABALZA
SEATTLE'S BARITONE VOCALIST
BIO
​
Ken Sabalza is a classically-trained baritone vocalist from Seattle, WA who sings a wide variety of genres from opera, musical theater/Broadway, old-school love ballads, art songs and classical works, church music such as hymns, gospel, spirituals, CCM, just to name a few.
Originally trained in visual arts, Ken did not begin his formal music training until college where his music teachers recommended that he pursue further studies. He decided to forgo his initial career path as a graphic designer/concept artist and decided to step in faith and began taking music courses first at Shoreline Community College, followed by a Bachelors of Arts in Music at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA.
In 2005, Ken made his debut at New York City's Carnegie Hall with the Choir of the Sound performing Vivaldi's "Gloria". In the same year, Ken also performed in his first piano recital alongside many other talented pianists at Benaroya Hall in Downtown Seattle. In 2006, Ken sang as a featured soloist with the Shoreline Chamber Chorale and Shoreline Singers during their tour of Spain, performing in Madrid, Valencia, Denia, and Barcelona. In 2009, Ken traveled with the WWU Concert Choir and was a featured soloist during the group's tour of Argentina and Uruguay.
​
In 2010, Ken was part of the Vocal Apprentice Program with the Astoria Music Festival, performing in scenes from Mozart's "The Magic Flute" and Strauss' "Die Fledermaus". In 2011, he won First Prize in the opera category of the Performing Arts Festival Eastside and received the Michael Mitchell Award for Opera. He has also performed throughout the Pacific Northwest with groups such as Fat Chance! Opera Company, Bellevue Opera, Puget Sound Opera, Opera on Tap, Seattle Glee Clubs, Shoreline CC Opera Workshops and Musical Theater Productions of "West Side Story" and "The Music Man", as well as in numerous fundraisers, galas, community and church events. In May of 2015, Ken made his Southeast Asia debut as a guest soloist at Anda Central United Methodist Church in the Philippines.
Ken has performed the US National Anthem at major sporting events, including the Seattle Mariners, Grand Prix of Portland Indy Car Racing, Seattle Thunderbirds, various University of Washington and Seattle University games, and many more. Other appearances include Celebrate Recovery, the 10th Anniversary for the Todos Los Santos event, Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival at Seattle Center, and at numerous retirement home communities in the greater Puget Sound region. Recent international engagements have taken him to Tokyo, Japan twice for a community outreach event with the Musashino Chapel Center, GCE Wedding Crusade in Cebu, Philippines, and private engagements in London, UK.
​
In August of 2018, Ken was selected randomly in the audience to perform with 16-time Grammy award-winning songwriter and producer David Foster at Seattle's Benaroya Hall.
​
Ken currently sings professionally as a freelance vocalist in the greater Seattle-area. He also serves as the worship director at his church in South Seattle, where he is also a lead vocalist and keyboard player.
Outside of music, Ken has an entrepreneurial spirit and enjoys business and has been in the sales and marketing industry since 2010 as a consultant, performance trainer/coach, speaker, and presenter. He is a huge proponent of personal development and is an avid reader of books pertaining to leadership, business, entrepreneurship, finance, sales, ethics, and theology. Ken enjoys spending time with friends and family, watching movies, art (drawing and painting), photography, and keeping up with all the latest trends in technology, namely the world of smartphones.
