Atlanta Arts category interest

ATLANTA — The Georgia State School of Music has announced highly acclaimed bass vocalist Morris Robinson will serve as the artist-in-residence for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years. Widely considered one of the most interesting and sought-after basses performing today, Robinson’s residency will offer students and faculty the unique opportunity to engage with one of the leading voices in classical music.

“I am incredibly excited and honored to serve as artist-in-residence at Georgia State University,” Robinson said. “One of my lifelong passions has always been sharing the knowledge I’ve gained through experience with bright and enthusiastic young artists. There’s no better way to bring that to life than by working with these brilliant young minds in this role.

“I look forward to growing and learning together as artists and representatives of the arts over the next few years. Moreover, I am dedicated to advancing the School of Music’s vision of ‘Making Our World Better by Making Music Together.’”

Stuart Gerber, interim director of the School of Music, echoed these sentiments.

“We are honored to have Morris Robinson join us as our artist-in-residence. His extraordinary career and his passion for mentoring young musicians make him an ideal fit for our program,” Gerber said. “We’re excited for the inspiration he will provide to our students over the next two years.”

A GRAMMY® Award-winning artist, Robinson is featured on the recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 (“Symphony of a Thousand”) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel. His impressive career regularly brings him to the world’s premier stages. He has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in roles such as Sarastro in “Die Zauberflöte,” Ferrando in “Il Trovatore,” the King in “Aida” and in productions like “Nabucco,” “Tannhäuser,” “Les Troyens” and “Salome.” He has performed at the San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Teatro alla Scala and Opera Australia, among others.

Robinson’s concert engagements are equally illustrious. He has performed with top-tier orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, where he served as an artist-in-residence for the 2015-16 season. His festival appearances include the BBC Proms, Ravinia, Mostly Mozart, Tanglewood and Aspen. His solo album “Going Home” was released on the Decca label.

This season, Robinson begins with the National Symphony Orchestra and The Washington Chorus, reprising Carlos Simon’s “Here I Stand,” a piece for which he performed the world premiere earlier this year. He will then open the season at Houston Grand Opera, singing Ferrando in Verdi’s “Il Trovatore.” Next, he joins Boston Lyric Opera for a gala performance of Verdi’s “Aida” before returning to the Metropolitan Opera for the world premiere of its new production of “Aida” directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer. Following this, he will debut the role of Banquo in Verdi’s “Macbeth” with the Atlanta Opera, perform the Mozart Requiem with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and make his role debut as Walter in “Luisa Miller” with the Washington Concert Opera.

During his residency at Georgia State, Robinson will engage with students and faculty through three one-day residencies each year, featuring masterclasses, workshops and mentorship. In addition to these residencies, Robinson will deliver a premiere performance at one of the School of Music’s upcoming events. His first engagement will be a voice masterclass Nov. 21 at 11 a.m. in the Kopleff Recital Hall. This event is free and open to the public.

The School of Music looks forward to the exciting opportunities and artistic growth that Robinson’s tenure will bring and invites the community to participate in and benefit from these enriching experiences.