Tenor Robert Breault enjoys an international career that features an extraordinary breadth of repertoire. His warm, flexible voice and superb artistic sensibilities combine to make him a consummate singing actor. Opera News noted, “Besides a ductile tenor that allows him to negotiate a full dynamic span, from silvery head tone to ringing forte, even within a single phrase, Breault offers truly superb diction.” Opera News also praised him for making “an excellent impression, his mellifluous tenor boasting clarity of both tone and diction; clearly reveling in high notes, he sang with notable dynamic variety.”
During the 2010 - 11 season he joins the Edmonton Opera as “Cavaradossi” in Tosca, the Florida Bach Festival for performances of Bach’s St. John Passion, National Philharmonic for Berlioz Requiem, and returns to San Diego Symphony for Schubert’s Mass #6. In New York, he makes his debut with the Korean Broadcast Symphony at The United Nations singing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. He will also sing the roles of Snare and Shallow in Getty’s Plump Jack with Bayerische Rundfunkorchester, among others. In October, Robert made an unexpected debut with Opèra de Montreal when he flew in, at 24-hours notice, to replace an ailing “Duke” in their production of Rigoletto.
During the 2009 – 2010 season, Breault joined the Edmonton Opera for the first time in the role of the Duke in Rigoletto. Opera Canada wrote, “Tenor Robert Breault made his EO (Edmonton Opera) debut with distinction as the Duke of Mantua. He looks the part of a man who can seduce women with more than just his power and wealth, and he has a lustrous voice.” In 2009, Breault made appearances with the San Diego Symphony in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, the Florida Bach Festival for performances of Bach’s B Minor Mass and Mozart’s Requiem and in December of 2009 Breault returned to Phoenix for performances of James DeMars’ Guadalupe. In 2010, Breault joined the Utah Symphony under the baton of Andrew Litton in performances of Verdi’s Requiem, and made his debuts with the Dubuque Symphony (Mozart’s Requiem) and Albany (NY) Pro Musica & The Cathedral of All Saints Choir of Men and Boys in Handel’s Messiah. For Santa Fe Opera, Robert covered the title roles in Tales of Hoffman and the world premiere of Spratlan’s Life is a Dream.
In 2008-2009, Breault joined the Florentine Opera as Jupiter in Handel’s Semele and as Cavaradossi in Tosca with Opera Grand Rapids. On the concert stage, he performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Bernstein’s Mass with the Utah Symphony, Gluck’s Ezio in Paris and Vienna with Il Complesso Barocco, Verdi’s Requiem with the Santa Fe Symphony, Britten’s Les Illuminations with the Richmond Symphony, and Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with the New York City Opera at Alice Tully Hall. Breault was also active as a recitalist making appearances throughout the United States.
During the 2007 – 2008 season, Breault portrayed Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with both Opera Arizona and Madison Opera, and Grimoaldo in Rodelinda with Portland Opera. His performances of Pandarus in Walton’s Troilus and Cressida for Opera Theatre of St. Louis received noted critical praise. Breault made his debut with the Detroit Symphony under Leonard Slatkin at Meadowbrook and sang Messiah with the Eugene Concert Chorale as well as Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Lied Center for the Performing Arts in Lincoln Nebraska, in addition to recitals in Florida and Utah. In May 2008, Breault recorded the role of Juan Diego in the world premiere of James DeMars’ Guadalupe, available on the Canyon Records label.
During the 2006 – 2007 season, Breault portrayed Jupiter and Apollo in a new production of Semele with New York City Opera for which he was honored with the company’s “Kolozsvar Award.” Breault also portrayed Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Utah Opera, Sam in Susannah with Arizona Opera, and the critically acclaimed title role of Werther with Chautauqua Opera. On the concert stage, he performed Elijah with the Jacksonville Symphony and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Messiah with the Omaha Symphony, Carmina Burana with the Pacific Symphony and the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and Plump Jack with the Orquesta Sinfonica Sinaloa de las Artes in Mazatlan, Mexico.
During the 2005 – 2006 season, Robert debuted with the Arizona Opera as Don Jose in Carmen, a role he also sang for a return engagement with New York City Opera that same season. He was Alfredo in La Traviata with the Ft. Worth Opera, the title role of Idomeneo with Opera Lafayette in Washington DC, and Cavaradossi in Tosca for his debut with Festival Opera. In concert, he appeared in Elijah for his debut with the San Diego Symphony, Handel’s Messiah with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the University Musical Society in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Delaware Symphony, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria with the Santa Fe Symphony, and Bach’s Magnificat, and Mozart’s Requiem in a return engagement with the Florida Bach Festival.
Breault’s numerous engagements on the concert stage include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Atlanta Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Utah Symphony, and the Cleveland Orchestra, Plump Jack with the Puerto Rico Symphony and London Philharmonic Orchestra, and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, B Minor Mass and Haydn’s Creation all with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He has performed Handel’s Messiah with numerous orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, University Musical Society (Ann Arbor), the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra under Nicolas McGegan, the Colorado Symphony, Edmonton Symphony, Eugene Concert Choir, and with the St. Louis Symphony. His performances of Verdi’s Requiem include appearances at the Elora Festival, Florida Philharmonic, and with the Tucson Symphony. He has been heard in Elijah with the Virginia Symphony, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, San Diego Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, National Orchestra of Taiwan, and the Florida Orchestra. His appearances as the roasted swan in Orff’s Carmina Burana have thrilled audiences in performances with the Pacific Symphony, Utah Symphony, Elora Festival, California Symphony, Baltimore Choral Arts, Conspirare (TX) and the Houston Masterwork Chorus.
He has sung Haydn’s Creation with the Winter Park Bach Festival, Virginia Symphony, and Eugene Concert Choir, Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins with the Utah Symphony and Opera, and Gounod’s Missa Solennelle with the Vancouver Bach Choir.
In constant demand on the concert stage, Breault has also performed with the Montreal Symphony, American Bach Soloists, the Oregon Bach Festival, Madison Symphony, Washington’s National Symphony, Lansing Symphony, L'Orchestre Métropolitan du Grand Montréal, the Hamilton Philharmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony, and the Toronto Symphony. Engagements at New York’s Carnegie Hall include the demanding role of Argirio in Rossini’s Tancredi with the Opera Orchestra of New York, as well as performances in Rossini's Armida, Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Second Symphony, and Mozart’s Requiem.
Of particular interest are his performances with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra under Nicholas McGegan for Handel's Messiah, Hercules, and Solomon, and the role of Christ in Beethoven’s demanding Christus am Olberg. The San Francisco Chronicle called his performance, “a heroic Jesus, his clarion tenor registering with precision and emotional vigor.”
Mr. Breault's recording credits include Laurent Petitgirard's World Premier recording of Joseph Merrick dit Elephant Man with The Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo as well as a live DVD recording with Opéra de Nice. Breault has also recorded Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass with the Choeur St. Lawrence and Montreal Symphony, DeMars' American Requiem with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Berlioz Requiem with the Jerusalem Symphony and Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and three volumes of Pachelbel's Organ Works as the cantor with organist Marilyn Mason. His performance with the Utah Symphony and Mormon Tabernacle Choir of Vaughan Williams’ Hodie with Keith Lockhart was broadcast nationally on PBS.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Breault received his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Michigan in 1991 and graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. Norbert College. He serves as Professor of Music and Director of Opera at the University of Utah.
