Merrill, Robert (1919-2004), an American baritone, became one of the world’s leading opera stars. He gained recognition for his powerful and resonant voice, which he combined with great warmth and superb technique. Merrill sang all of the major Italian and French baritone operatic roles. He also performed in lighter works, notably in the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof, and gave many concerts and recitals.
Merrill was born on June 9, 1919, in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 1944, he made his operatic debut in Trenton, N.J., as Amonasro in Aida. Merrill made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1945 in the role of Germont in La Traviata. He wrote several books, including an autobiography, Once More from the Beginning (1965), and a novel, The Divas (1978). Merrill died on Oct. 23, 2004.
