Robert Dean Smith studied singing at Pittsburgh State University and at New York’s Juilliard School of Music. Not unlike many other heldentenors, he began his career as a baritone. His first professional engagements were in Germany. In 1995 he joined the Wiesbaden National Theatre and since then has sung all the major heldentenor parts. 1995 was also the year of his Bayreuth Festival début as Walther von Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. In the year 2000 he returned to Bayreuth, initially as Walther von Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, then in 2001 he added Siegmund to his roles at the festival. He followed these up with Tristan in 2005, a role he repeated again this year.

Interview: Robert Dean Smith/Rick Fulker