Internationally acclaimed vocal instructor Robin Rice to join Rice University

Internationally acclaimed vocal instructor Robin Rice will join the Shepherd School of Music faculty this fall as a professor of voice.

Robin Rice (Submitted photo)

“I am very thrilled to be joining the faculty at the Shepherd School of Music,” Rice said. “The Shepherd School is pre-eminent in the field of music performance and scholarship, so I am delighted to be a part of such a distinguished school that is so special. My family and I are looking forward to making Rice and Houston our home.”

Renowned for his teaching, Rice has served as a master teacher with Utah’s Young Artist Apprentice Programs, the San Diego Opera Ensemble, the Florida Grand Opera’s Young Artist Apprentice Program, the Nightingale Opera Theatre Young Artists program, the Pensacola Opera AIRS program and the Indianapolis Opera Resident Artists program. Rice has also taught at many prestigious summer programs, including the Amalfi Coast Music Program in Vietri sul Mare, Italy, the International Asian Opera Workshop in Taipei, Taiwan, the International Asian Opera Project in Kunming, China, the Up North Vocal Institute in Boyne City, Mich., and the International Opera Festival in Beijing.

Rice’s book, “Great Teachers on Great Singing,” was published in 2017, and he offers master classes worldwide. He has previously given classes at Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Castellina in Chianti Vocal Workshop in Tuscany, Italy; the Cullasaja Vocal Workshop in North Carolina; the University of Colorado at Boulder; Rice University; Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame; and Baylor University. He has also given a series of master classes in Taiwan and appeared as a master teacher in Kunming, China, and at Beijing University.

His students have performed leading roles in major international opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Opéra-Théâtre de Limoges, Teatro Dell’Opera Roma, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, Firenze’s Teatro del Maggio Musicale, Bayerische Staatsoper, Royal Swedish Opera Stockholm, Kyrenia Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Sarasota Opera, San Diego Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Florida Grand Opera, New Orleans Opera, Ft. Worth Opera, New York City Opera, Washington National Opera and more. Many of his students have won prestigious national and international competitions and/or have appeared in apprentice programs, including Santa Fe, San Francisco, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Glimmerglass, The Academy of Vocal Arts and Wolf Trap.

An internationally active interpreter of art song, oratorio and opera, Rice has an operatic repertoire that spans diverse roles such as Mozart’s Count Almaviva in “The Marriage of Figaro,” Papageno in “The Magic Flute” and the Secret Police Agent in Menotti’s “The Consul.” He has also performed the world premieres of Reynold’s “The Hollow Men,” Rytel’s “Blake Songs” and Dmitriev’s “R.O.S.” He also appeared as a soloist with the Northern Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Teplice, Czech Republic, and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. He continues to perform recitals in the U.S. and abroad.

Rice received his Bachelor of Music degree from Baylor University and his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. A specialist in French repertoire, Rice was an honored participant under Elly Ameling, Gerard Souzay and Dalton Baldwin at the Cleveland Art Song Festival. Rice also won the Carolyn Brice Award in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award Competition. He has worked with many luminaries, such as Alberta Masiello, Theodore Uppmann, Barbara Honn, John Spong, Richard Hughes, Joyce Farwell, Kenneth Griffiths and Tom Jaber.

For more information, visit https://www.robinrice.net/.