He made his debut at the Bayreuth Festival in 1997 as Walther von Stolzing in DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG, returning as TRISTAN, LOHENGRIN, and Siegmund in DIE WALKÜRE.  Additional engagements include performances with Munich’s Bavarian State Opera (FIDELIO, AIDA, TRISTAN, TANNHÄUSER, LOHENGRIN, TOSCA, MANON LESCAUT, ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, MEISTERSINGER, DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER, QUEEN OF SPADES), Vienna State Opera (TRISTAN, LOHENGRIN, DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN, MANON LESCAUT, FIDELIO, WALKÜRE, MEISTERSINGER, DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER), La Scala Milan (LOHENGRIN, FIDELIO, TANNHÄUSER), Paris Opera Bastille (DIE TOTE STADT, WALKÜRE), MET Opera New York (TRISTAN, TOSCA, MADAMA BUTTERFLY, ARIADNE AUF NAXOS), Deutsche Oper Berlin (ANDREA CHENIER, MEISTERSINGER, LOHENGRIN, TANNHÄUSER, WALKÜRE, PARSIFAL), Dresden State Opera (MEISTERSINGER, CARMEN, LOHENGRIN, DAPHNE) Covent Garden London (LOHENGRIN, MEISTERSINGER, ARIADNE AUF NAXOS), Chicago Lyric Opera (DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN), Los Angeles Opera (DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN), San Francisco Opera (MEISTERSINGER), Teatro Real Madrid (DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN, TRISTAN, PARSIFAL), Gran Teatre de Liceu Barcelona (MEISTERSINGER, PARSIFAL, ARIADNE AUF NAXOS), Theatre du Capitole Toulouse (ANDREA CHENIER, DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN), Zürich Opera House (MEISTERSINGER, TANNHÄUSER) and New National Theatre Tokyo (WALKÜRE, LA FORZA DEL DESTINO).

He has performed in concert with the Royal Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam (Mahler's 8th Symphony, DAS LIED VON DER ERDE, Kodaly's PSALMUS HUNGARICUS, Beethoven 9th, Stravinsky's OEDIPUS REX), the Vienna Philharmonic (Beethoven 9th), the Philadelphia Orchestra (MISSA SOLEMNIS by Beethoven), Bayerische Rundfunkorchester (DAS LED VON DER ERDE by Mahler), Bayerische Staatsorchester Munich (DAS LIED VON DER ERDE),  the London Symphony Orchestra (THE DREAM OF GERONTIUS by Elgar), the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Rome (Dvorak REQUIEM, WALKÜRE Act 1), the Staatskapelle Berlin (Mahler's 8th Symphony), Orchestre de Paris (Beethoven 9th, FIDELIO), Los Angeles Philharmonic (Beethoven 9th), Vienna Symphony (Beethoven 9th, Beethoven MISSA SOLEMNIS, Dvorak STABAT MATER), Hamburg Symphoniker (Verdi REQUIEM, Opera Gala), Symphonica Toscanini (Beethoven 9th), Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin (Beethoven’s CHRISTUS AM ÖLBERGE), the SWR Radio Orchestra (GURRE-LIEDER by Schönberg, Beethoven 9th), Monte-Carlo Orchestre Philharmonique (PARSIFAL), and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (LOHENGRIN).

Robert Dean Smith’s CD recording on Arte Nova of Wagner scenes has been awarded the Orphée d’Or by the Académie du Disque Lyrique.

Born in Kansas, USA, he studied at Pittsburg (Kansas) State University with Margaret Thuenemann, at the Juilliard School in New York City with Daniel Ferro, and with Professor Janice Harper in Europe.  Like many dramatic tenors, he began his career as a baritone and sang for several years in German opera houses. His excellent training and stage versatility allow him to sing a wide variety of repertoire in many different languages and styles.