© Zoe Martin
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.
In the current season he performs Lord Ruthven in Thea Musgrave’s Mary, Queen of Scots (English National Opera). Among his recent highlights are Reverend Horace Adams Peter Grimes, Uncle Billy It’s a Wonderful Life, Reverend Blue (English National Opera); Pangloss/Voltaire Candide (Scottish Opera); Ladislav The Two Widows (Birmingham Opera Company); Canio Pagliacci (West Green House Opera); and Peter Porgy and Bess (English National Opera, Dutch National Opera, Theater an der Wien).
Among his varied operatic appearances are the title role in Otello, Tambourmajor Wozzeck and Florestan Fidelio (Birmingham Opera Company); Otello, First Armed Man The Magic Flute, Big Prisoner From the House of the Dead (Opera North); Lazarus in John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary (Theater Bonn); Canio Pagliacci (Scottish Opera, 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), and given concert performances in Kazan, Russia and with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra.
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 Crucifixion. He has appeared as The Preacher in Bernstein’s Mass (BBC Proms/BBC National Orchestra of Wales); and in a concert commemorating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death (London Philharmonic Orchestra).
His recordings include Fidelio with the Festspielchor Reinsberg (NCA); Sweeny Todd with the Münchner Rundfunkorchester (BR Klassik); and Aida from the Bregenz Festival (C Major).
Canio / Pagliacci / West Green House Opera / 2023
“Rightly dominating Pagliacci was Ronald Samm’s Canio. From the first, when he strode onto the stage during lively opening, where the villagers are anticipating the coming of the pagliacci, Samm’s suave actor/manager was the engaging centre of attention… Samm’s Canio was slow burn, his big voice taking on more and more intensity till he snapped during the play… This was more than a consummate performance, it was an all consuming one…”
(Planet Hugill)
“Pagliacci is led by Ronald Samm’s steadily disintegrating Canio, sung with tremendous authority in a portrayal that plumbs the depths of pity and terror. The tenor simply pours out the chief clown’s misery in an intensely moving account of Vesti la Giubba.”
(The Stage)
The Reverend / Blue / English National Opera / 2023
“There’s also standout work from Ronald Samm as the Reverend…”
(The Stage)
“Act 2 packs a virtually non-stop punch in the guts. It’s immediately enriched by heroic tenor (and excellent Otello) Ronald Samm as “The Reverend””
(The Arts Desk)
“Ronald Samm impresses as the Reverend…”
(The Guardian)
Uncle Billy Bailey / It’s a Wonderful Life / English National Opera / 2022
“…Ronald Samm makes a big vocal impact as Uncle Billy.”
(The Arts Desk)
“…Ronald Samm does a lovely job as bumbling Uncle Billy.”
(The Observer)
“Ronald Samm’s Uncle Billy… excellently sung…”
(Bachtrack)
1, 4, 8, 12, 15, 18 Nov 2025
Heggie: Dead Man Walking
Conductor: Kerem Hasan
Director: Annilese Miskimmon
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