Rebecca Robinson, Mezzo-Soprano
Praised for her “darkly pretty voice,” mezzo-soprano Rebecca L. Robinson is quickly making a name for herself as a rising talent in the opera world. She recently completed the Professional Certificate program at the University of Colorado–Boulder where she was seen in Eklund Opera productions as the title role in Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Cinderella), Ottone in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, and Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, as well as in recital with the world-renowned Takács Quartet. She was awarded 3rd place in the Denver Lyric Opera Guild competition in 2016, and named a finalist in the Bruce Ekstrand Competition, which recognizes and awards development grants to promising graduate students. After two busy and successful years at CU, Rebecca decided to call these mountains home and is now based in Denver, CO.
No stranger to concert work, Rebecca recently made her debuts with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Bellingham Festival of Music (Bellingham, WA), and with Guillermo Figueroa and the Lynn Philharmonia (Boca Raton, FL). She has been seen locally with Central City Opera, the Boulder Chamber Orchestra, the Colorado Bach Ensemble, and as a soloist with the Colorado Masterworks Chorale. She is also active in recital, performing in communities throughout the U.S.
Before relocating west, Rebecca got to sample time in the Rockies as a young artist with the Crested Butte Music Festival, where she sang roles in both mainstage productions or Suor Angelica and Rigoletto. The summer before she enjoyed time on the west coast, performing as a soloist with The Bellingham Festival of Music’s Choral Arts Symposium, and returning to sing with the Whatcom Chorale and Sinfonia. In between rehearsals, she made sure to go kayaking and hiking in the perfect Washington weather!
As a Master’s student at McGill University, time in Montreal was kept very busy: in two years, Rebecca appeared in five lead roles with Opera McGill, most notably as Romeo in Bellini’s sublime adaptation of the Romeo and Juliet story (2014). Previously based in Chicago, she did her undergraduate study at DePaul University with teachers Jane Bunnell and Susanne Mentzer, and was a member of the esteemed Chicago Symphony Chorus.
Rebecca joined the Central City Opera’s Studio Artist program in 2012, where she covered the role of Mrs. Gobineau in Menotti’s The Medium, as well as performed in the mainstage shows and scenes programs. Earlier that spring, she won first place in the Donald Chen Young Artist Competition in Chicago. In 2011, Rebecca performed the role of Hänsel with the Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center, as well as the alto solo in Mahler’s 2nd “Resurrection” Symphony with the Redlands Symphony Orchestra (Redlands, CA) and the mezzo solos in Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis and Mozart’s Missa Brevis with the Whatcom Chorale & Sinfonia (Bellingham, WA).
Prior engagements have included Berlioz’s “Les Nuits d’Ete” with Western Piedmont Symphony (Hickory, NC), Cole Porter revue with Northwest Indiana Symphony (Munster, IN), and the Third Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in Brugge Belgium. Shortly after graduating from DePaul, she joined the chorus of Chicago Opera Theater’s production of Mose in Egitto. Rebecca served as the soloist and section leader at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Chicago from 2007-2012 and was a winner in Classical Singer’s college division competition in 2009. Working with Maestro Riccardo Muti from 2010-2012, she was privileged to sing in the choruses of Orff’s Carmina Burana, Berlioz’s Lelio, and Verdi’s Otello in concert version, both in Chicago and at Carnegie Hall.
Growing up in New Jersey in a musical family, Rebecca fostered her love of opera early; at the age of seven, she became a member of the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus under the direction of Elena Doria. She participated in over 40 performances and had the privilege of working alongside many world-renowned singers in her five years there. Ms. Robinson has studied under the tutelage of renowned artists including Sanford Sylvan, Jane Bunnell, Susanne Mentzer, and the late Beverly Bower.