Robert McPherson Tenor
Hailed by The New York Times for his “robust voice, agility and confidenceâ€, Robert McPherson brings his distinctive artistry and virtuoso technique to some of the most challenging roles in the tenor repertoire. A committed champion of the bel canto literature, he possesses a combination of power and agility more commonly associated with singers of generations past. Jay Nordlinger, writing for The New York Sun, declared that McPherson “boasts an unusual sound: It is sweet, alive, and altogether interesting. Not the kind of sound you hear every day, or that comes from a cookie cutter.†Indeed, his distinctive skills led to a recent debut in the demanding role of Arnold in Guillaume Tell at the Polish National Opera under Will Crutchfield where he was praised in Ruch Muzyczny for "overcoming the superhuman difficulties summa cum laude." Subsequently, he appeared with Maestro Crutchfield at the prestigious Caramoor Festival, famously “saving the day†for an ailing Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Mr. McPherson’s upcoming engagements include a company debut with Utah Opera as Ernesto in Don Pasquale and a return to the Metropolitan Opera for his third season to cover his signature role, Almaviva. He also looks forward to a role debut as Léopold in La Juive with New Israeli Opera.
Recent seasons have marked several notable debuts for Mr. McPherson. Of his performances with San Francisco Opera as the Italian Tenor in Der Rosenkavalier, the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “Robert McPherson brought the first act to a stunned stop with his strikingly beautiful account of the Italian Tenor's aria.†In addition, he was featured in the demanding role of Rodrigo in La Donna Del Lago at New York City Opera and the conniving Iago in Rossini’s Otello with Opera Orchestra of New York. Mr. McPherson made his national television debut on PBS as the angel Gabriel in Andrew T. Miller’s sacred cantata The Birth Of Christ, recorded in Dublin, Ireland and released by Sony BMG Masterworks, and recently reprised that role, at the special invitation of the Vatican, in Rome alongside Vivica Genaux and Elin Manahan Thomas and actors Jim Caviezel and Micheal York.
Mr. McPherson has appeared with the Washington National Opera, Stadtheater Bern, Switzerland, Opéra Théâtre d'Avignon, Opera di Genova, Festival Mozart La Coruña, and Fundacao de São Carlos in Lisbon and the Teatro Real, as well as numerous regional opera houses and concert halls. He has had the privilege of working under such noted conductors as Richard Bonynge, Will Crutchfield, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, Riccardo Frizza, Donald Runnicles, Gerard Schwarz and Alberto Zedda. Highlights of his distinguished appearances in the bel canto repertoire include the roles of Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Ramiro in Cenerentola, Belfiore in Il Viaggio a Reims, Tonio in La Fille du Régiment and Lindoro in L’Italiana in Algeri. Additionally, his versatility and range have led to success in a variety of roles, including Ferrando in Così fan Tutte, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Tom Rakewell in The Rake's Progress, Sam in Susannah, Candide in Candide, Roméo in Roméo et Juliette and Il Duca in Rigoletto.
Mr. McPherson is a native of Seattle, Washington where he made his professional debut with the Seattle Symphony at the age of twenty-three. He is also an avid baseball fan and has sung the national anthem for the Seattle Mariners on numerous occasions.
