Robert Forrest

Robert Forrest has studied at many of the United Kingdom’s leading institutions, completing his BMus(hons) at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2016 and subsequently an MPerf at the Royal College of Music (2018), Adv Artist Diploma at the Royal Academy Opera School (2020) and an MPhil in music studies from Girton College Cambridge (2021). As a 2018 Alvarez Young Artist at Garsington Opera he covered Flamand and sang First Servant in Capriccio receiving the 2018 Helen Clarke Award. He returned to Garsington the following year to cover Peter Quint The Turn of the Screw. He was a member of the Glyndebourne Opera Chorus in 2022 and 2023.

He made his professional operatic debut in 2015 as King Kaspar in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors with the Netherlands Reisopera. For Dorset Festival Opera he has sung Malcom in Verdi’s Macbeth and covered Lensky Eugene Onegin. At the New Generation Festival in Florence he sung Don Curzio Le nozze di Figaro, and covered Nemorino L’elisir d’amore and Don Ottavio Don Giovanni. Roles at the Royal Academy Opera School included Jupiter in Handel’s Semele, Vaudemont in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, 1st Armed Man Die Zauberflöte and Captain Ricardo in Massenet’s Cherubin.

On the concert platform he made his Wigmore Hall debut in 2020 with the Royal Academy in a performance celebrating the music of Clara Schumann. Recent concerts include Mozart C minor Mass with the English Baroque Choir, Rossini Stabat Mater with the Putney Choral Society, Dvorak Stabat Mater with the 1885 singers, Handel’s Messiah with the Dunfermline Choral Union, Bach’s Mass in B minor with the Waverly Consort and Dvorak Mass in D and Bach Magnificat with the Choir of the University of Stirling.

In 2023 he sang Gherardo Gianni Schicchi for the European Opera Centre with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Doningo Hindoyan with Sir Bryn Terfel in the title role, and Rodolfo La Bohème for Hurn Court Opera.

He recently completed a year at the National Opera Studio and since leaving has sung Masino in Haydn’s La vera costanze with New Chamber Opera, covered Sailor and Shepherd in Tristan und Isolde for Glyndebourne Festival Opera and sung Aminta in Pergolesi’s L’Olimpiade with Vache Baroque.

He is currently covering the role of Mark The Wreckers in Karlsruhe, Germany. Plans include Scottish Opera’s Opera Highlights Tour in Spring 2025.

Artist Videos

Che gelida manina (La Bohème)
Dies Bildnis (Die Zauberflöte)
Here I stand (The Rake's Progress)

“Robert Forrest brilliantly acted the part of Harlequin infusing it with memorable personality.” Smyth’s Fête Galante/National Opera Studio, Green Room Reviews, June 2024

“Forrest sang with strong, dark tone and made an interesting, brooding hero supported by Kvam’s throbbing piano. Forrest was very communicative and made fine use of the words and tonal colours…” National Opera Studio/Wigmore Hall, Planet Hughill, February 2024

“Robert Forrest gave a moving, well articulated Malcolm, displaying a luminous tenor.” Macbeth/Dorset Opera, Bachtrack, July 2016

Opera Repertoire

COMPOSER OPERA ROLE
Britten A Midsummer Night's Dream Lysander
Britten The Turn of the Screw Peter Quint
Donizetti L'elisir d'amore Nemerino
Handel Semele Jupiter
Haydn La vera costanze Masino
Massenet Cherubin Captain Ricardo
Menotti Amahl and the Night Visitors King Casper
Mozart Don Giovanni Don Ottavio
Pergolesi L'Olimpiade Aminta
Puccini La Bohème Rodolfo
Puccini Gianni Schicchi Gherardo
Smyth The Wreckers Mark
Strauss, Richard Capriccio Flamand
Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin Lensky
Tchaikovsky Iolanta Vaudemont
Verdi Macbeth Malcolm
Wagner Tristan und Isolde Sailor/Shepherd

Concert Repertoire

COMPOSER WORK
Bach Magnificat
Bach Mass in B minor
Dvorak Mass in D
Dvorak Stabat Mater
Handel Messiah
Mozart Mass in C minor
Rossini Stabat Mater