The Hartt School announced on Monday, March 8 that Robert Brubaker, a graduate of the class of 1997, will be honored with the 2013 Hartt Alumni Award at this year’s Hartt commencement ceremony.

Brubaker, who graduated from the Hartt School with a Bachelor of Music in 1977, is now an established tenor opera performer who has performed with some of the highest revered opera companies worldwide.

With experience performing on some of the world’s greatest stages, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Opera National de Paris and the Salzburg Festival, Brubaker has established himself as a highly acclaimed and respected performer.In April and May, Brubaker will bring his expertise back to the University of Hartford, where it all began.

On April 25, he will speak in Millard Auditorium to share his experiences and insights with current students, faculty and any other interested members of the Hartford community. On May 19, he will speak at the Hartt School’s commencement, where he will also receive the 2013 Hartt Alumni Award.After graduating from the Hartt School, Brubaker began his opera career with the New York City Opera, appearing in performances such as “Die Fledermaus,” “Madama Butterfly” and “La Bohème.”

From there, he went on to work with some of the top opera companies in the world, including the English National Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, and others.

Recently, Brubaker appeared as Kaiser (Emperor) in “Die Frau Ohne Schatten” with Deutsche Oper Berlin, an opera company located in Berlin, Germany. “Die Frau Ohne Schatten,” which translates to “The Woman Without a Shadow” premiered in Vienna in 1919. The story follows a mythical empire where the Emperor (played by Brubaker in this most recent production) captured the Empress in animal form and transformed her into a human. However, she has no shadow, and cannot bear children.

The King of the realm decrees that she must gain a shadow after a year, or she will be returned to her animal form and the Emperor will be turned to stone.