Born in Australia and raised in Dunedin, baritone Robert Tucker completed a Bachelor of Music at the University of Otago in 2004. He spent time working in Australia and the UK before returning to New Zealand in 2012 where he continues to work on the stage, in the concert hall and as a singing teacher
and conductor.
Since returning to New Zealand Robert has worked extensively with New Zealand Opera. Some highlights have been playing Adolfo Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Schaunard in La bohème, Noah in three different productions of Noyes Fludde for the Benjamin Britten centenary celebrations in 2013 and King George in Eight Songs for a Mad King by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies which was received with great critical success at the New Zealand International Arts Festival and the Auckland Arts Festival.
A passion of Robert’s is bringing new New Zealand composition to life. These have included characters in the operas Brass Poppies by Ross Harris, Hōhepa by Jenny McLeod and The Unruly Tourists by Luke Di Somma with New Zealand Opera and The God boy by Anthony Ritchie with Opera Otago. As well as orchestral works The Journey Home by John Drummond with The Dunedin Symphony Orchestra and In Paradisum by Kenneth Young with Auckland Philharmonia. In 2015 Robert commissioned the song cycle Whispers of Gallipoli by Anthony Ritchie to commemorate the landings at Gallipoli 100 years earlier. Robert’s previous operatic roles include Kuligin: Kátya Kabanová, Pish-Tush:The Mikado, Adolfo Pirelli: Sweeney Todd, Baron Douphol: La traviata, Tommo: Brass Poppies, Yamadori: Madama Butterfly, Masetto: Don Giovanni, Schaunard: La bohème, Noah: Noye’s Fludde (NZO); Ford: Falstaff (IFAC Opera Japan); Count Almaviva: The Marriage of Figaro (English Chamber Opera); Moralès: Carmen (Scottish Opera, AOS); Guglielmo: Così fan tutte (Australian Opera Studio, Opera Otago); Papageno: Die Zauberflöte, Harlequin: Ariadne auf Naxo, Lescaut: Manon, Mr Peachum: The Threepenny Opera, Garibaldo: Rodelinda (AOS); Opera Highlights tour (Scottish Opera) and Don Giovanni in Opera Otago’s 2018 production of the popular Mozart opera.
Roberts most recent performance with New Zealand Opera was in RED!, a children’s opera by Kiwi composer Lucy Mulgan based around the story of Little red riding hood. He played Wolfie (the big bad wolf) and shared the stage with over 150 energetic children enjoying bringing opera to life.