Debbie Robertson performs in the largest and busiest opera house in the world. For two years now, the young Latter-day Saint has been a pianist and opera coach at the Metropolitan Opera—“the Met”—in New York City.
A Missouri native, Debbie received a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in collaborative piano from Louisiana State University. She also earned an artist diploma in opera coaching from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
During her time in New York, Debbie’s associates have taken note of the way she lives her beliefs. And not necessarily because Debbie is handing out copies of the Book of Mormon—it’s her enduring commitment to serving in the Church that stands out.
Surprise Over Her Commitment
“My faith is not something I talk about a lot at work, but it’s something that everybody knows about me,” Debbie explains. “To be in the Church and serve takes a lot of consistent effort over time. And I think, especially with the people I’ve known for longer in my career, there’s surprise sometimes at the commitment of continuing to do that for so long.”
For example, Debbie once went to an audition at Juilliard, which is located across the street from the stake center that shares its building with the Manhattan Temple. Immediately after the audition, she decided to catch the next sacrament meeting, much to the shock of her colleagues.
“My team was trying to call me to ask me about the audition, and I was like, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t—I’m in church,’” she remembers. “And they laughed and were like, ‘How? It’s been like 30 seconds since you left this audition.’
“I think that kind of example does leave an impression on people over time where they’re like, ‘They mean it, whatever it is.’”
Dedicated Latter-day Saints in NYC
Debbie says her commitment isn’t rare—her stake in Manhattan is made up of many people who demonstrate a wholehearted dedication to their Latter-day Saint faith. It is these valiant members who inspire her to carve out time for serving and living the gospel, no matter how busy the opera season.
“I think a lot of the people here have a special sort of energy and drive,” Debbie shares. “For example, the number of PowerPoint presentations I’ve seen about things at church, like, ‘Here’s our 10-step plan,’ … there’s so much of that. It’s a highly focused, organized group of people.”
Debbie has also appreciated the chance to observe the humility and contributions of many successful Latter-day Saints, such as American historians Claudia and Richard Bushman and artist Walter Rane.
“There are a lot of painters and authors and people that really, like, have ‘made it’ in their careers,” she explains. “And you see them at church, and they’re just serving, and their first and foremost identity is being disciples of Christ and lifting the Church.”
Living in a big city also means having unique interactions with missionaries and Latter-day Saints traveling from all over the world.
“I see the missionaries more than I’ve ever seen them anywhere—they do amazing work tracting in the streets and parks and subways,” Debbie says. “I’ve met more kinds of people at once than anywhere I’ve ever lived.”
How Debbie’s Devotion Helps Her
While many of her colleagues have noticed the things Debbie can’t do—like drink alcohol or attend certain events—she says that her Church commitment has only empowered her in her career.
For example, performing for audiences of up to almost 4,000 people can be nerve-wracking, but Debbie believes that faithful habits like prayer, scripture study, and temple worship have allowed her to stay calm and perform her best.
“It helps me put in perspective what is about to happen,” Debbie says. “And I really believe that if you need Him, Jesus Christ will assist you in efforts that maybe were not going to be good enough, but somehow, they miraculously are as you go.
“That’s happened to me frequently, where I was like, ‘I don’t think I can handle this day.’ And I pray, and somehow, it manages itself.”
Being in the arts can be filled with uncertainty, but Debbie says her testimony of the gospel has been a firm anchor. “When I return to that [knowledge], then it helps me move forward in faith that it’s going to be fine and that the Lord has grand plans,” she reflects.
After Debbie finishes her program with the Met this summer, she hopes to move to Germany—home to over 80 opera houses. But no matter where her career leads her next, she knows that she can depend on the Lord’s direction.
“The Lord is someone I trust more than I trust myself,” she says. “I can comfortably go on because I know that the Lord has a path for me and that He has helped me every step of the way. And I’m grateful for that.”
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