Ronald Samm

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 engagements include his return to English National Opera for two major UK premieres as Uncle Billy It’s a Wonderful Life and Reverend Blue. He will also perform Siegmund in Die Walküre for Regents Opera and Tippett A Child of Our Time for Cambridge Philharmonic.

His most recent appearances include Pangloss/Voltaire Candide for Scottish Opera; Peter in James Robinson’s production of Porgy and Bess for English National Opera and Dutch National Opera and at the Theater an der Wien in Matthew Wild’s production; Olim Der Silbersee for English Touring Opera; and Iro Il ritorno d’Ulisee in partria for The Grange Festival.

His wide range of repertoire and performances include 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 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.

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).