In the summer of 2011 Smith made his Bregenzer Festspiele debut, performing the title role in Andrea Chénier. Opera News stated "Roy Cornelius Smith has crossed into the dramatic repertoire, his voice darkening and gaining power, but without loss of its inherent sweetness and trumpet-like metallic top. Creating a vivid, charismatic character, Smith excelled in the role's two big arias, particularly an impassioned ringing 'Improviso'".
