BIOGRAPHY
Praised by The New York Times for her “bright, sizable and expressive voice,” Mexican-born American soprano Kristin Sampson’s recent and upcoming performances include returns to her signature Puccini heroines, the title roles in Tosca and Madama Butterfly, as well as Minnie in La fanciulla del West, and concert performances with New York City Opera, The Accord Symphony Orchestra, and Washington Opera Society. Last season’s engagements included a company debut as Tosca with Connecticut Lyric Opera, a workshop of Jake Landau’s Psyche, a return engagement with the Kauno Filharmonijain in recital with tenor Liparit Avetisyan, and concert performances with both New York City Opera and Washington Opera Society. Other recent notable performances include a guest artist appearance and debut with the Kauno Filharmonijain in Lithuania under the baton of Maestro Constantine Orbelian, a company debut with Opera Grand Rapids as Liù in Turandot, a role debut as Marguerite in Faust with the Washington Opera Society, a featured soloist engagement with Hudson Valley International Festival of the Voice, and concert performances with New York City Opera. Previously, Ms. Sampson appeared as Minnie in La fanciulla del West with New York City Opera, Opera Carolina, Teatro del Giglio in Lucca, Teatro Goldoni in Livorno, and Teatro Verdi in Pisa, Italy. She sang Magda in Respighi's La campana sommersa with New York City Opera, and she made her debut at the Festival Puccini in Torre del Lago as Tosca. She made her Carnegie Hall debut with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. She has performed domestically with the New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Orchestra of New York, Opera Carolina, Dicapo Opera Theatre, Augusta Opera, El Paso Opera, and the National Lyric Opera among many others. Ms. Sampson has performed internationally with Puccini Festival of Torre del Lago, Teatro del Giglio in Lucca, Teatro Goldoni in Livorno, Teatro Verdi in Pisa, the Magyar Tavak Fesztiválja in Hungary, Opera Society of Hong Kong, Armel Opera Festival, National Theatre of Szeged, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, and Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Signature and favorite roles include Minnie in La fanciulla del West, the title roles in Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Adriana Lecouvreur, Mimì in La bohème, Nedda in Pagliacci, Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana, Micaëla in Carmen, and Liù in Turandot.
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2019-2020 calendar opened with a featured soloist appearance on the 75th Anniversary Concert for New York City Opera followed by additional performances as Mimì in La bohème with MidAtlantic Opera, a guest soloist appearance with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra as well as several additional concert appearances with New York City Opera. 2018-19 performances included concerts featuring the music of composer Jeremy Gill, Mimì in La bohème, guest soloist in the New York City Opera Pride Concert, as well as being a featured artist at the 2019 Festival of Nature at Lake Tizsa in Hungary. The 2017-18 season included performances as Minnie in La fanciulla del West with New York City Opera, and at Teatro del Giglio in Lucca, Teatro Goldoni in Livorno, and Teatro Verdi in Pisa, Italy. Her engagements in the 2016-17 season included her Carnegie Hall debut as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, Magda in Respighi's La campana sommersa with New York City Opera, Minnie in La fanciulla del West with Opera Carolina, and her debut at the Festival Puccini in Torre del Lago as Tosca. Her 2015-16 season included debuts at Potenza’s Teatro Francesco Stabile as Mimi in La bohème and at the New York City Opera as Tosca in the celebratory production that re-opened the company. Ms. Sampson is a two-time recipient of a grant from The Olga Forrai Foundation. She has performed domestically with the New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Orchestra of New York, Opera Carolina, Dicapo Opera Theatre, Augusta Opera, El Paso Opera, and the National Lyric Opera among others; and internationally with Puccini Festival of Torre del Lago, Teatro del Giglio in Lucca, Teatro Goldoni in Livorno, Teatro Verdi in Pisa, the Magyar Tavak Fesztiválja in Hungary, Opera Society of Hong Kong, Armel Opera Festival, National Theatre of Szeged, Teatro Municipal de Santiago, and Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Signature roles include Minnie in La fanciulla del West, the title roles in Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Adriana Lecouvreur, Mimì in La bohème, Nedda in Pagliacci, and Liù in Turandot.
Recent concert engagements include Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Maestro Paul Phillips and the Pioneer Valley Symphony, and Passione Lirica with the Tuscia Opera Festvial under the direction of Maestro Stefano Vignati.
During the 2014-15 season, Ms. Sampson was a featured artist in American Opera Projects’ Composers and the Voice program. Additionlly, Ms. Sampson created the role of the Mother in David Zuckerman’s new opera in development, Milarepa; appeared on OPERA America’s Creators in Concert featuring the music of Tobias Picker; Santuzza with Opera at Florham, appeared as a featured soloist on the NYCO Renaissance Gala concert celebrating the life of the late Julius Rudel and performed in concert throughout the East Coast.
During the 2013-14 season, Ms. Sampson appeared in recital at Carnegie Hall's Weill Hall and was featured in the filmed workshop of Syrian composer Zaid Jabri’s new opera Cities of Salt. Additionally, Ms. Sampson’s performance of Cio-Cio San in a touring production of Madama Butterfly was the highlight of her Spring of 2014 season.
2012-13 Ms. Sampson joined the Szeged National Symphony in Budapest where she was a featured soloist under the baton of Maestro Cyril Diederich in the Fifth Anniversary Gala Concert for the Armel Opera Festival. Upon her return to New York, she was seen in performances of Puccini's Passions and Italian Opera's Greatest Moments with Dicapo Opera Theatre and National Lyric Opera. To welcome in the new year, Ms. Sampson made her debut with the Opera Society of Hong Kong performing Nedda in I Pagliacci. Finally, in the spring of 2013, she appeared in touring performances of I Pagliacci in venues both in New York and New Jersey.
During the 2011-12 season Kristin Sampson opened Dicapo Opera Theatre’s 30th anniversary season as Tosca, later appearing as Violetta in La traviata to great critical acclaim.
In her 2010-11 season, Ms. Sampson was seen as Annina in Menotti's The Saint of Bleecker Street, and with the Rome Opera, she covered the role of Beatrice in A View from the Bridge. Her performances as Masha in Thomas Pasatieri’s The Seagull both in New York and in Szeged, Hungary were televised internationally on Mezzo/Duna television. Concert work included performances of the soprano solos in the Mozart Requiem in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.
2009-2010 season she made her debut as Nedda in I Pagliacci in Santiago, Chile and also received the Best Female Performer Award for the Mezzo Television Opera Competition (Armel Opera Competition) in Szeged, Hungary for her performance in the title role of Tobias Picker’s opera Emmeline. Under the direction of Róbert Alföldi, the European premier of Emmeline, was broadcast live on Mezzo television in over 40 countries. For her performance in New York the Wall Street Journal said “With her big, gleaming dramatic soprano, Kristin Sampson brought authority to the tour-de-force role of Emmeline”.
During the 2008-2009 season, Ms. Sampson completed a wildly successful run as Adriana Lecouvreur at the Szeged National Theatre, Hungary, followed by an appearance at Lincoln Center as a featured soloist in its Puccini 150th Birthday Celebration gala concert. During the spring of 2009, she performed the New York premiere as “fiery Šárka,” singing and acting with “resolution and power.” Critics agree, “she is an immense talent."
Ms. Sampson has performed many roles with Dicapo Opera Theatre including Juliette which the New York Sun described as “a strong, lustily sung Juliette that was at its best in her passionate delivery of the Potion Aria,” while the New York Post described her performance as, “…bright-toned and eloquent.”
To date her long list of heroines includes the title roles of Tosca, Adriana Lecouvreur, Emmeline and Šárka, Violetta (La traviata), Nedda (I Pagliacci), Beatrice (A View from the bridge), Cio-Cio-San (Brescia and Paris versions of Madama Butterfly), Masha (The Seagull), Annina (The Saint of Bleecker Street), Micaela (Carmen), Juliette (Romeo et Juliette), Suzanne (Thérèse Raquin), Hanna Glawari (The Merry Widow), Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare), Mimì & Musetta (La bohème), and Pamina in (Die Zauberflöte).
A versatile performer, Ms. Sampson’s musical theater credits include Luisa in The Fantasticks, Maria in West Side Story, Anne in A Little Night Music, Nellie in South Pacific and Lady Larkin in Once Upon a Mattress. As an active recitalist, Ms. Sampson has appeared throughout the United States and was most recently a featured soloist with Rice University’s Shepherd Singers and Houston Masterwork Chorale. Additionally, Kristin Sampson can be heard on recorded music by composers Ismi Kuremoto and Trent Hanna.