Vita

The 2026/27 season marks a new chapter in the career of Canadian baritone Samuel Chan. After several years as a permanent member of the ensemble, he remains closely associated with Theater Kiel as a regular guest while continuing to expand his international career. In Kiel, he appears as Wolfram von Eschenbach in a new production of Wagner’s TANNHÄUSER and later in the season returns as Schlémil in LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN. Further projects at the house include concert appearances, among them the AIDS QUILT SONGBOOK and a programme of Bach cantatas with the Kiel Boys’ Choir.

Chan also returns to Canada in the 2026/27 season. At the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto, he appears in Richard Strauss’ ARIADNE AUF NAXOS, while in November 2026 he sings Fauré’s REQUIEM with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra.

Following his first engagements at Theater Kiel from 2020, Samuel Chan was a permanent member of the company’s music-theatre ensemble from the 2021/22 season until summer 2026. During his time there, he built a wide-ranging repertoire including Papageno in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, Guglielmo in COSÌ FAN TUTTE, Robert in JOLANTHE, Lescaut in MANON LESCAUT, Marcello in LA BOHÈME, Dandini in LA CENERENTOLA, Ottokar in DER FREISCHÜTZ, Faninal in DER ROSENKAVALIER, Dr Falke in DIE FLEDERMAUS, Malatesta in DON PASQUALE, Marco in GIANNI SCHICCHI and Belcore in L’ELISIR D’AMORE.

Further guest engagements have taken him to the Canadian Opera Company, Musiktheater im Revier, Theater Basel, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Landestheater Detmold and Saskatoon Opera. His repertoire at these companies has included roles such as Marcello in LA BOHÈME, Ford in FALSTAFF, Robert in JOLANTHE, Guglielmo in COSÌ FAN TUTTE, Lescaut in MANON LESCAUT and Dandini in LA CENERENTOLA.

Alongside his operatic work, Samuel Chan maintains an extensive concert and recital repertoire. His repertoire includes Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Handel’s MESSIAH, Fauré’s REQUIEM, Bach’s ST JOHN PASSION and MASS IN B MINOR, as well as Vaughan Williams’ FIVE MYSTICAL SONGS. He has appeared with ensembles and orchestras including the Philharmonisches Orchester Kiel, Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Freie Akademie der Künste Hamburg. In 2025, as part of the COC Free Concert Series, he presented his own recital project IDENTITÄT / 個性, exploring Chinese identity within the context of Western opera.

Samuel Chan trained at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and as a member of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio. Further studies took him to the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, National Arts Centre Ottawa, Highlands Opera Studio and Toronto Summer Music Festival.

CBC Music has recognised Samuel Chan as one of Canada’s leading classical artists. Critics have praised his “smooth and powerful voice” (Neue Musikzeitung) and his “elegant, lyrical baritone” (Das Opernglas).

2026-08-31

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