Ronald Samm

Tenor

Ronald Samm was born and grew up in Trinidad, West Indies. He studied singing and piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, followed by postgraduate study at the Royal Northern College of Music and the National Opera Studio.

Highlights in recent seasons include Peter in James Robinson’s acclaimed production of Porgy and Bess for English National Opera and Dutch National Opera, and in Matthew Wild’s production at the Theater an der Wien; Olim Der Silbersee for English Touring Opera; and Iro Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria for The Grange Festival.

His wide range of repertoire and performances includes the title role in Otello, Tambourmajor Wozzeck and Florestan Fidelio (Birmingham Opera Company, Sir Graham Vick); Otello, First Armed Man The Magic Flute, Big Prisoner From the House of the Dead (Opera North); Lazarus in John Adams’s The Gospel According to the Other Mary (Theater Bonn); Canio Pagliacci (Scottish Opera and Everyman, Cork); Orfeo Orfeo ed Euridice (Everyman, Cork); Siegfried in Act III Götterdämmerung (Oper Wuppertal); Siegmund Die Walküre (Teatro Nacional de São Carlos); Walther von Stolzing Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Fulham Opera); and Security Guard Between Worlds (English National Opera). In Porgy and Bess he has performed Sportin’ Life (Opéra de Lyon/Edinburgh International Festival) and Jake (Lisbon).

On the concert platform his repertoire includes Handel Messiah; Bach Magnificat and St John Passion; Mendelssohn Elijah; Beethoven Mass in C; Mozart Requiem;
Verdi Requiem; and Stainer The Crucifixion. He has appeared as The Preacher in Bernstein’s Mass at the BBC Proms with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and with the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a concert commemorating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.