Robert Grayson, tenor

Robert Grayson is the General Director of Opera Louisiane and Kirkpatrick Professor and Chair of the Voice/Opera Division at the LSU School of Music. A leading tenor at the New York City Opera for more than a decade, Grayson has sung throughout the USA with many opera houses including Chicago Lyric, Cleveland, Miami, Tulsa, and Spoleto. Professor Grayson has been cited as a "Rising Star" by the LSU Alumni Magazine. He has been the recipient of the Phi Kappa Phi award for "Outstanding Creativity in the Arts" and has received commendation from the Student Government Association for "Outstanding Teaching." He can be heard as "Caesar" on New World Records' Grammy-winning recording of Antony and Cleopatra.

Making his New York debut as Faust opposite Samuel Ramey's Mefistofele Robert Grayson has sung over 100 performances as leading tenor at the New York City Opera in such operas as La Boheme, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Norma, Mefistofele, La Traviata and Carmen. Grayson has appeared as tenor with numerous companies: The Spoleto Festival, Italy, Israel Philharmonic in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem & Haifa, Santa Fe Opera, Arizona Opera Company, Canadian Opera, Tulsa Opera, Miami Opera, Wolftrap, Saratoga, Cleveland, ARTPARK, San Diego Opera, Costa Mesa Opera, Los Angeles Opera Theatre, Music Center Opera, etc. Grayson's recording of Antony & Cleopatra was awarded the "Grammy" for outstanding classical recording of 1985.

From 1998 to 2002 Professor Grayson served as Artistic Director of the LSU Opera, during which time productions were increased from two to four per year, two state-wide tours were undertaken, and budgets were quadrupled and the LSU Opera Endowment and 75Voices were formed. Grayson directed productions of La Traviata, La Boheme, and Carmen. He founded the Patrons of the LSU Opera, and coordinated efforts with the Baton Rouge Opera Guild, and BRAVO (Baton Rouge Area Volunteers for Opera).

Robert Grayson has produced a number of outstanding professional singers. Foremost among these artists is Tenor Paul Groves who has made auspicious debuts at the MET, La Scala, Vienna, Munich, Glyndebourne

etc; Tenor Chad Shelton, of New York City Opera, Houston Grand, Strasbourg, Baritone Shon Sims of New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, Colorado Festival Opera; Soprano Lisette Oropesa of the MET Young Artist Program; Soprano Kimla Beasley of Houston Grand; Character tenor Edward Dacus of Ohio Light Opera, New Orleans Opera; Tenor Matthew Morgan, of New York City Opera, the Pittsburgh Opera, National Grand Opera, Fort Worth Opera; Heldentenor Andrew Zimmerman, Aachen, Pfortzheim, Germany; Baritone Kenneth Brundage, Ohio Light Opera, New Orleans Opera; Tenor Robert Swenson, houses throughout Europe and with 14 CDs available; Mezzo Soprano Kathleen Clawson, regional orchestral soloist; Soprano Dawn Harris, Ohio Light Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre.

Grayson has produced three National Finalists and Semi-Finalists in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, two national finalists in the NATS Young Artists Competition, national finalists in the National Opera Association Auditions, national finalists in the Liederkranz Competition, New York. Robert Grayson continues as an active singer, in recent seasons appearing in recital at the LSU Union Theater, with the LSU Symphony, the Louisiana Sinfonietta, the Vicksburg Chamber Music Festival, and as the opening Voice Recital at the DeAngelo School of Music, Erie, PA.