Robert WATSON

American tenor Robert Watson was recently praised for the “flawless technique,” “impressive vocal range,” and “emotional depth” he brought to the role of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Vancouver Opera (Opera Canada). This season, he will make his role debut as Radames (Aida) at the Washington National Opera, his house debut at the Sydney Opera House as Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), and will also appear as Tambourmajor (Wozzeck) with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra and once again in the title role of Richard Wagner’s Parsifal at the Aalto Theater in Essen during the current season.

In the 2024/25 season, he made his house debut at the Opéra de Lyon as Tambourmajor (Wozzeck), celebrated his role debut in the title role of Richard Wagner’s Parsifal at the Aalto Theater in Essen, appeared as Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) at the Vancouver Opera, and made his Japanese debut as Erik (Der fliegende Holländer) at the Hyogo Performing Arts Center.

In the 2023/24 season, Robert Watson’s guest appearances included Erik in Der fliegende Holländer at Lyric Opera Chicago, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Teatro Regio Torino, his house debut as Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) at the Staatsoper Hamburg, and as Števa Buryja (Jenůfa) at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. He made his role debut as Jean de Leyde in Meyerbeer’s Le prophète in the summer of 2024 at the Fisher Center at Bard College (USA).

From the 2016/17 to 2019/20 seasons, Robert Watson was a member of the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he developed a broad repertoire. He appeared on stage as Ismaele in Nabucco, Grigori in Boris Godunov, Bois-Rosé in Les Huguenots, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Erik in Der fliegende Holländer, in Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Don José in Carmen, and Narraboth in Salome, among others. His role debuts in the title roles of Les contes d’Hoffmann and Don Carlo, as well as Laca in Jenůfa, were acclaimed by audiences and the press. As a guest, Robert Watson has regularly returned to the Deutsche Oper as Hoffmann, Don José, Ismaele, and Don Carlo.

In the 2022/23 season, he starred in new productions of Fidelio as Florestan and Arabella as Matteo. In the same season, he made his debut as Siegmund in Dmitri Tcherniakov’s new production of Die Walküre under the baton of Christian Thielemann at the Staatsoper Berlin, his debut as Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) at Palm Beach Opera, and his house debuts as Ismaele at the Bavarian State Opera and as the Prince (Rusalka) at the Santa Fe Opera.

Guest engagements in recent seasons have taken Robert Watson to the Stadttheater Klagenfurt as the Prince (Rusalka) and Gabriele Adorno (Simon Boccanegra); to San Diego Opera, Opéra national de Montpellier, and Fort Worth Opera as Don José (Carmen); to Washington National Opera as Cavaradossi (Tosca); to Des Moines Metro Opera as Tambourmajor (Wozzeck); to Dallas Opera as Don Carlo (Don Carlo); to Palm Beach Opera as Canio in Pagliacci; to Opéra de Lille and Teatro Regio Torino as Ismaele (Nabucco); to the Metropolitan Opera in New York in Richard Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Alban Berg’s Lulu; to Zurich Opera for his house and role debut as Turiddu in Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana; and to Opéra national de Montpellier as Bacchus in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos.