Robert Mosley was an American operatic bass-baritone. Part of the first generation of African-American opera singers to achieve wide success, he performed in numerous opera productions, recitals, and in concerts from the 1950s through the 1990s. In 1957 he won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He drew particular acclaim for his portrayal of Porgy in George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, a role which he portrayed in the landmark 1976 Houston Grand Opera production, on Broadway, and at the Metropolitan Opera among other opera companies both in the United States and in Europe.
In 1965 Mosley made his professional opera debut as Porgy in George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess with the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center. That same year he made his New York recital debut at Town Hall. Later that year he sang Porgy again for his debut with the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Hall. In 1966 he returned to the NYCO to portray Valentin in Faust with Beverly Sills as Marguerite. That same year he performed the role of Joe in Show Boat in a tour of South America for the United States State Department. He portrayed Joe again for his debut at the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera in 1967 and for his debut at the Goodspeed Opera House in 1980. In 1969 he was heard with the NYCO again as Tonio in Pagliacci and he toured the United States in performances of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana with the American Symphony Orchestra and conductor Leopold Stokowski. In 1971 Mosley made his debut at the San Francisco Opera in the title role of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto with Carol Toscano as Gilda and Harry Danner as the Duke of Mantua. He returned to the SFO twice more during his career, as Trinity Moses in Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny in 1972 and as Porgy in 1977. In 1972 he portrayed Amonasro in Aida at the Trenton War Memorial. In 1973 he portrayed Trinity Moses for his debut with the Opera Company of Boston and in 1974 he portrayed Amonasro for his debut with the Seattle Opera. He notably created the role of Leonce in the world premiere of William Grant Still's A Bayou Legend Opera/South in Jackson, Mississippi on April 10, 1976. In 1976 Mosley made his debut at the Houston Grand Opera as Porgy to Clamma Dale's Bess in the company's landmark production of that work. He alternated in performances of that role with baritone Donnie Ray Albert. He continued to alternate with Albert in the role when the production moved to Broadway in 1976–1977, and in a 1978 European tour of the HGO production which included performances at the Paris Opera, Teatro Margherita, Teatro Massimo, and Zurich Opera. He also sang Porgy in the 1983 Broadway revival. On February 23, 1985 Mosley made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Porgy to Grace Bumbry's Bess with James Levine conducting. He portrayed that part for two seasons at the Met. During his career Mosley also sang leading roles with the Fort Worth Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, and Opera Memphis among other companies. Other roles he performed on stage included Ford in Falstaff, Germont in La traviata, Iago in Otello, Scarpia in Tosca, and the title role in The Flying Dutchman. While he continued to perform into the last years of his life, his performance career significantly slowed after the mid 1980s. He spent the last years of his life in Kure Beach, North Carolina.
