Championed by Opera News for his “solid, ringing tones” and by The Dallas Morning News for his “well- wrought tenor, with baritonal richness in the lower register and a fine blaze on top,” American tenor Robert Watson has established himself as a sought- after interpreter of challenging repertoire at home and abroad. In 2022, he made his onstage debut at The Metropolitan Opera as Moser in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. In 2023, he will make his role debut as Siegmund in Die Walküre at Staatsoper Unter den Linden, debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago as Erik in Der fliegende Holländer, and debut at Santa Fe Opera as the Prince in Rusalka.
Mr. Watson’s 2022-2023 season also includes the title
role in Les contes d’Hoffmann and Matteo in Arabella at Deutsche Oper Berlin, his role debut as Florestan in Fidelio also at Deutsche Oper Berlin, B.F. Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly at Palm Beach Opera, and Ismaele in Nabucco with Bayerische Staatsoper Berlin. The 2021-22 season began with his Metropolitan Opera debut as Moser in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and continued with his return to Deutsche Oper Berlin as Don Carlo, to Opéra National de Montpellier as Bacchus in Ariadne auf Naxos and to Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Cavaradossi. Additionally, Watson made his house and role debut at Opernhaus Zürich opera as Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana. Future seasons include significant appearances at Santa Fe Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mr. Watson has appeared in concert as the tenor soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Kansas City Symphony, and in Verdi’s Requiem with the Florence Masterwork’s Choral Society. He has performed in recital at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.
He is a member of the esteemed ensemble of Deutsche Oper Berlin where he has performed a multitude of roles including Ismaele in Nabucco, Grigori in Boris Godunov, Bois-Rose in Les Huguenots, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Erik in Der fliegende Holländer, and the messenger in Aïda. Recent seasons saw him as a soloist for Verdi’s Requiem, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, the title role in Les contes d’Hoffman, Grigorij in Boris Godunov, Don José in Carmen, Narraboth in Salome, and Laca in Jenufa, all with Deutsche Oper Berlin. In addition, he made debuts as the Prince in Rusalka and Gabriele Ardorno in Simon Boccanegra with Stadttheater Klagenfurt, Don José with San Diego Opera, Opera Orchestre National Montpellier and Fort Worth Opera, Cavaradossi in Tosca with Washington National Opera, and the Drum Major in Wozzeck with Des Moines Metro Opera.
Mr. Watson was a two-time Filene Young Artist at Wolf Trap Opera where he sang Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with the National Symphony Orchestra, Begearss in Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles, and the titular character in Milhaud’s Le pauvre matelot. He is an alumnus of the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera, the Opera Santa Barbara Studio, the Palm Beach Opera Benenson Young Artist Program, and the Dolora Zajick Institute for Young Dramatic Voices. Mr. Watson has been awarded prizes in the Opera Index, Gerda Lissner, and Irene Dalis competitions. He is a two-time recipient of a Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation and a Catherine Filene Shouse Education Career Grant and is a two-time Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions regional finalist.
