06/18/2026
The Citadel Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus Highlight
Morris D. Robinson, '91
Robinson was born with two extraordinary gifts. The first was a rare combination of size and athleticism that made him an outstanding football player. During his senior season at The Citadel, he earned All-Southern Conference and Kodak All-America honors while helping lead a Bulldogs team that finished the season ranked No. 20 in NCAA Division I-AA.
His second gift was a remarkable singing voice that has earned him international acclaim as one of the world's premier bass opera singers.
Robinson was enjoying a successful career with the Fortune 500 company 3M when he was "discovered" while singing in a music program in Boston. After receiving a scholarship for his first formal vocal training, he quickly rose to prominence, performing at the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, La Scala in Milan, and the Sydney Opera House, as well as in leading roles with numerous opera companies throughout the United States and around the world.
Robinson has served as an artistic advisor to the Cincinnati Opera, an artist-in-residence with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and a resident artist at Harvard University. He was also the first African American artist to sign with a major classical recording label.
On April 3, 2022, Robinson won a Grammy Award for his featured performance on the recording of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 (“Symphony of a Thousand”) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
His life story is every bit as remarkable as his powerful and celebrated voice.
Learn more about distinguished alumni at citadelalumni.org/news-stories/distinguished-alumni/dcal/.