Switzerland
Born in Kansas, USA, Robert Dean Smith studied at Pittsburg (Kansas) State University with Margaret Thuenemann, at the Juilliard School in New York City with Daniel Ferro, and with Professor Janice Harper in Europe.
Like many dramatic tenors, he began his career as a baritone, singing for several years in German opera houses until his change to tenor. His excellent training and stage versatility allowed him to sing a wide variety of repertoire in many different languages and styles. His discography of over 20 recordings of operas and concert works includes Verdi’s Otello and Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde.
He made his debut at the Bayreuth Festival in 1997 as Walther von Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, returning as Tristan, Lohengrin, and Siegmund in Die Walküre. Additional engagements include performances with the opera houses of Munich, Vienna, La Scala Milan, Rome, Naples, Paris, MET New York, Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, London, Bolshoi Moscow, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Madrid, Barcelona, Budapest, Toulouse, Zürich, and Tokyo.
He has performed in concert with the Royal Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam, Vienna Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Bayerische Rundfunkorchester, Bayerische Staatsorchester Munich, London Symphony Orchestra, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Rome, Staatskapelle Berlin, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Hamburg Symphoniker, Symphonica Toscanini, Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, Monte-Carlo Orchestre Philharmonique, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
A student of Daniel Ferro since 1980, Mr. Smith continued his studies with him until Mr. Ferro’s death in 2015. After a 40-year career Mr. Smith now teaches privately, giving both young students and professional singers extensive insight into the teaching technique and legacy of Daniel Ferro.