Bruson made his operatic debut as the Conte di Luna in Verdi's Il trovatore at the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale in Spoleto in 1960.

He made his debut at La Scala in Milan in 1972 as Antonio in Donizetti's Linda di Chamonix, at the Edinburgh International Festival in 1972 as Ezio in Verdi's Attila, at the Royal Opera House in London in 1975 as Renato in Un ballo in maschera, substituting with great success for Piero Cappuccilli.

In the 1980s he turned to the 18th century, in the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni, and to Italian verismo with Umberto Giordano's Andrea Chénier.

Since I knew I did not have a thundering voice to make coarse effects, I sought the interpretation since I think it is more important that the public go home with something in their hearts than some sounds in their ears".

[3] Bruson recorded the role of Macbeth on DVD in a performance from Deutsche Oper Berlin alongside Mara Zampieri and James Morris.