Luc Robert, Tenor

Pacific Opera Victoria
Rodolfo in La Bohème
February, 2011

Tenor Luc Robert made his Pacific Opera Victoria debut in April 2006 in the role of the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto. In 2008 he returned for his debut as Nicias in Massenet's Thaïs. 2011 sees Luc returning to perform Rodolfo in Puccini's La Bohème.

A former fire fighter, Luc Robert studied at the Conservatoire de musique de Québec in Montréal with Claudette Denys and Louise-Andrée Baril and then joined the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio in 2002.

He made his COC main stage debut in 2002/03 in minor tenor roles in The Queen of Spades and in Un ballo in Maschera. Subsequent roles at the Canadian Opera Company included Arturo and Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), the title role in Albert Herring, Pang (Turandot), Borsa (Rigoletto), Rodolfo (La Bohème), Steva Burya (Jenufa), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Mario Cavaradossi (Tosca) and the Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto).

Luc also performed Nemorino in L'Elisir d'Amore with l'Opéra de Québec, the role of the Duke of Mantua with Pacific Opera Victoria, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance and Nemorino with Opéra de Rennes and Opéra de Nantes as well as Malcolm (Macbeth) with Vancouver Opera. In 2007 he was the cover for Alfredo (La traviata) with the Canadian Opera Company and sang Verdi's Messa da Requiem with the Berkshire Choral Festival in Vancouver. He also appeared as a guest judge on the second season of Bravo's Bathroom Divas: So You Want to Be an Opera Star?

In 2008 he performed the role of Mylio (Le Roi d'Ys) with l'Opéra de Rennes, Puccini's Messa di Gloria with the Vancouver Chamber Choir and the role of Malcolm (Macbeth) with L'Opéra de Montréal. He also sang Puccini's Messa di Gloria with the Vancouver Chamber Choir and Psalm 13 by Franz Liszt with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

His most recent engagements include his debuts as Nicias (Thaäs) at Pacific Opera, MacDuff with Opéra de Rennes and Opera Lyra in Ottawa, Hoffmann (Les Contes D'Hoffmann) at Tampa Bay Opera, the Messa da Requiem with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in Finland, with Matti Salminen, Orphée (Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice) in Rennes, Faust (La Damnation de Faust) in Angers, Nantes and Rennes, as well as the cover of the role of Steuermann (Der fliegende Holländer) at the Metropolitan Opera.

The most arresting singing, really, was from Luc Robert as Nicias, Athanaël's hedonistic friend and the short-term purchaser of Thaïs's favours. His honeyed tenor glued Massenet's orchestral textures together.
The Globe and Mail (review of POV's Thaïs)

Luc Robert, a fine Rigoletto for the POV a few seasons back, was in excellent voice as the wordly and philosophical Nicias, delivering a thoroughly idiomatic performance shot through with fine musicianship.
Review Vancouver (POV's Thaïs)

Much closer to a fuller inhabitation of his role was Luc Robert as the brazenly hedonistic, yet eminently likeable, Nicias. With his jaunty swagger and clarion tenor, Robert was always entertaining as the 24-hour party animal and lusty connoisseur of Thaïs's charms.
Opera Canada

Luc Robert performs Ingemesco from Verdi's Requiem.

 

March 2010