Benjamin Robinson, described as a "charming lyric tenor," is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina known for his "emphatic characterizations" and "easy vocal production and...luscious instrument."  He is the Artistic Director of Raylynmor Opera and Opera Ithaca and works as a stage director and librettist. 

 

Highlights from this season include Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore with Eugene Opera, Chip in On the Town with Resonance Works Pittsburgh, directing The Barber of Seville and La tragédie de Carmen for Raylynmor Opera and returning to the Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings with the Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra. Other recent credits include the Game Keeper in Rusalka with Resonance Works Pittsburgh, the title role in Candide and Alfred in Die Fledermaus with Opera in the Heights, Joe in La fanciulla del West with Michigan Opera Theatre, Bardolfo in Falstaff with Resonance Works Pittsburgh, Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Indianapolis Opera, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance with Amarillo Opera, the Electrician in Powder Her Face with Skylight Music Theatre, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Anchorage Opera, Flamand in Capriccio with Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, Basilio/Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro with Salt Marsh Opera, Larry/Matt The Face on the Barroom Floor with Chelsea Opera (“musically strong, dramatically satisfying” Opera News) and the Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (“Raleigh native Benjamin Robinson has the perfect tone and timbre for this music. His care for clear diction was outstanding, as was his evoking emotions within the poems” Classical Voice of North Carolina). He recently appeared with the Southwestern Suburban Symphony in an all Bernstein program, including as Tony in the West Side Story Suite, sings Messiah with Holy Cross Rumson, Jim in Gift of the Magi with Queens Opera Theatre and makes his Carnegie Hall debut singing the role of Draco from the Final Fantasy video game opera, Maria and Draco. 

 

As a stage director, he has mounted numerous productions, highlighted by new productions for which he also wrote new English libretti: Madame Butterfly, Macbeth, Hansel and Gretel and The Barber of Seville. This season, he will write new libretti for Die Fledermaus and Pauline Viardot's Cendrillon and direct Le Nozze di Figaro at Opera Ithaca and Aïda at Raylynmor Opera. 

 

Other career credits include Hydrogen Jukebox with Skylight Music Theatre, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado with Mobile Opera, Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Amarillo Opera, Orpheus in Orpheus in the Underworld with Light Opera New Jersey, Abdallo in Nabucco with Michigan Opera Theatre, Don Anchise in La finta giardiniera and Henrik in A Little Night Music with Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, Antinoo in Antígona Furiosa with the Contempo Series at the University of Chicago, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, Spoletta in Tosca, and Malcom in Macbeth with Anchorage Opera, Charles in The Hotel Casablanca with Abilene Opera Association, Goro in Madama Butterfly with Opera Santa Barbara, Laurie in Little Women and Gernando in L'isola disabitata with Opera del West, Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw with North Carolina Opera, and the title role of The Wandering Scholar with Little Opera Theatre of New York.

 

Benjamin performed the role of Christopher Morcom in The Turing Project (“Benjamin Robinson as Turing’s young lover and confident named Christopher Morcom has a sweet and lyrical tenor and was able to play Morcom with intimacy and preciseness” OperaPulse) for the American Lyric Theater Insight workshop and sang Colin in the reconstruction workshop of L'amant anonye, a classical-era opera by Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges with Little Opera Theatre of New York.

 

As a frequent performer of crossover material, Benjamin has appeared as Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, Marco in The Gondoliers and Gaston in Gigi with Lyric Opera San Diego, Mr. Erlanson in A Little Night Music with Michigan Opera Theatre, and Lt. Cable in South Pacific with Anchorage Opera. He began his career at Ohio Light Opera, performing Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Jacey Squires in The Music Man, Marco in The Gondoliers, Will Parker in Oklahoma! and the Marquis of Harrogate in the United States premiere of Jerome Kern’s The Cabaret Girl.  

 

On the concert stage, Benjamin has been a soloist for the Puccini Messa di Gloria with Monadnock Chorus, Messiah with Oratorio Society of New Jersey, Carmina Burana and Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle with the University of Houston,  the Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes with Houston Ballet II, the Franck Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross with Richmond Chorale and Israel in Egypt with Newton Choral Society. He was a guest soloist with the Cape Cod Symphony for an all-operetta concert and sang the Mozart Solemn Vespers and Schubert Mass in G with the Cypress Quartet at the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival.  

 

He has appeared as Mr. Splinters in The Tender Land and Beppe (cover) in Pagliacci with Sugar Creek Symphony and Song, Little Bat (cover) in Susannah with Des Moines Metro Opera, Alfredo (cover) in La Traviata and St. Brioche (cover) in The Merry Widow with St. Petersburg Opera.  Benjamin is an alumnus of the Kentucky Opera Studio Program where he sang Roderigo in Otello, Basilio in Don Quichotte auf der Hochzeit des Comacho (Telemann), Werther (cover)/Schmidt in Werther and Alméric in Iolanta.  He lives in Philadelphia.