Vita

Recognised as one of CBC Music’s Top Canadian Classical Musicians, Samuel Chan has been praised by critics for his “agile and powerful” (Neue Musik Zeitung) & “elegant and melodious baritone voice.” (Das Opernglas Magazin). Originally from Calgary, with overseas-Chinese ethnic roots, Samuel is establishing himself with a diverse career internationally.

A member of the Musiktheater Ensemble at Theater Kiel since 2020, Samuel’s upcoming 25/26 repertory season includes role debuts as Marco in Gianni Schicchi (Il Trittico); Belcore in Elisir d’amore; and resumptions of Malatesta in Don Pasquale. The 24/25 repertory season roles included Faninal in der Rosenkavalier; Dr. Falke in die Fledermaus; Malatesta in Don Pasquale; Ottokar in der Freischütz; Papageno in die Zauberflöte; and Baron Douphol in La Traviata. He recently made a welcome return to the Canadian Opera Company (COC) as both the imperial commissioner and Prince Yamadori, and jumped into the role of Dandini for Landestheater Detmold’s La Cenerentola.

Recent repertory seasons have seen Samuel in critically lauded performances as Marcello in La Bohème; Dandini in La Cenerentola; Ford in Falstaff; and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte. Past roles in repertory include Robert in Iolanta (including a role jump-in at Musiktheater im Revier); Lescaut in Manon Lescaut; Guglielmo in Così fan tutte; Montano in Otello; Albert in La Juive; Pantalon/Farfarello in L’amour des trois oranges; the Gurilla in the world premiere of Giovanni Sollima’s Das Dschungelbuch; and Hans in Der Vetter aus Dingsda. He has recently worked with directors Renaud Doucet, Jordan Lee Braun, Sarah Kohrs, Alexandra Leidtke, Luise Kautz, Daniel Karasek, and Jean-Romain Vesperini, alongside musical collaborations with conductors Rani Calderon, Daniel Carlberg, Francesco Cilluffo, Gabriel Feltz (GMD), Benjamin Reiners (GMD), and Keri-Lynn Wilson.

Other past engagements include a jump-in role debut at the Canadian Opera Company as the title character in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, under the baton of Maestra Speranza Scappucci, new opera workshops for FAWN Chamber Creative, Tapestry Opera and City Opera Vancouver, and Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus for Saskatoon Opera. A graduate of the COC Ensemble Studio, Samuel’s roles included Marcello/Sergeant in La Bohème; Dad in Ana Sokolovic’s The Old Fools (workshop); the Sycophantic Senator in the world premiere of Hadrian; the Captain in Eugene Onegin; the 2nd Japanese Envoy in The Nightingale and Other Fables; and the Usher in Rigoletto. Other past operatic engagements include Moralès in Carmen (Brott Music Festival); Don Asdrubale/Calandrino/Gomatz in Lo sposo deluso/L’oca del Cairo/Zaide (City Opera Vancouver); and Pastore II/Apollo in L’Orfeo (Cincinnati Chamber Opera).

Samuel’s concert and recital repertoire includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9; Handel’s Messiah; Fauré’s Requiem; Arvo Pärt’s Passio; Monteverdi’s Selva morale et spirituale / Vespers; Bach’s St John Passion / B Minor Mass; and Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music / Five Mystical Song, with organisations such as the Philharmonisches Orchester Kiel, Freie Akademie der Künste Hamburg, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He as recently launched the recital project Identität/個性, a retrospective of the Chinese Ethnic Identity in Western Opera, with its first performance at the COC Free Concert Series with pianist Rachael Kerr.

Samuel’s academic studies were completed with a focus on Concert repertoire/Art Song. He has been recognized for this affinity with 2nd Place in Lieder and 3rd Place in Oratorio at the 2019 Stella Maris International Vocal Competition. Other competition highlights include 2nd Place in the COC’s Ensemble Studio Competition, and a district win/encouragement award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions’ Western Canada/Ohio district respectively. Samuel received his Bachelor of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has had further training at the National Arts Centre’s Young Artist Programme, Highlands Opera Studio, the Vancouver International Song Institute, Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, and the Toronto Summer Music Festival.

2025-11-26

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