CMDFTT celebrates 10 years of inspiring performances

Internationally-acclaimed soloist, and well-loved Trinidadian tenor, Ronald Samm is one of the nation’s most popular classical music performers, also recognised in the United Kingdom for his fantastic voice and his commanding presence on stage.

Samm assumed the role in Verdi’s Otello in 2010 for which he gained widespread critical acclaim. Most significantly, he was the first black tenor to have ever done the role in Britain.

On the singer’s official website, ronaldsamm.com he notes of this achievement:

“It was a true defining period in my life because I had to summon every bit of reserve for what was asked of me dramatically and vocally…”

At Opera Festival 2015, Samm will be performing a feast of the most beautiful Operatic Arias as well as selections from Porgy and Bess with special guest appearances by Soprano Ayrice Wilson, members of the Foundation’s Young Artiste Collective and violinist Jonathan Storer.

Samm was born right in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, the younger son of two head teachers. His early musical training began at St Mary’s College (CIC) where he was a regular prizewinner in the island-wide biennial Music Festival.

He studied voice and piano with Noelle Barker and Ian Kennedy at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and won a scholarship from the Peter Moores/Lord Pitt Foundation to pursue post-graduate study with Nicholas Powell at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

As an undergraduate he performed the roles of Dixon in Born Again directed by Sir Peter Hall at Chichester Festival Theatre, and Mercure, Arcas and Tisiphone in Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie with Les Arts Florissants under William Christie. After Guildhall, roles on London’s West End followed, most notably Husky Miller in Carmen Jones at the Old Vic directed by Simon Callow, and the Apollo MC in The Buddy Holly Story at the Victoria Palace Theatre directed by Rob Bettinson.

As a postgraduate student, Samm was a finalist in the Alexander Young Vocal Competition; he took part in masterclasses with Jonathan Miller, John Tomlinson and Roger Vignoles, and was chosen by Jonathan Miller to play Don Jose and Otello in the BBC2 television series of Opera Works.

He has performed with British Youth Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Pegasus Opera, and Birmingham Opera Company among others. His roles include: Tamino (Duie Zauberflote); Don Jose (Carmen), the title role in Britten’s The Prodigal Son, and Florestan in the multi-award winning production of Fidelio.

This is not Samm’s first time performing in Trinidad.

Last year, local audiences enjoyed his extraordinary performance of the Baron von Eisenstein in the CFoundation’s production of Mozart’s comedic opera, Die Fledermaus.

“Ronald Samm is a shining example of how far Trinidad’s musical talent can go and we believe that it is important that he should sing for his home country as often as his performing schedule allows. We are indeed blessed and grateful that he had the time to be with us as we celebrate our 10th Anniversary,” said Annette Dopwell, Director of the Foundation and Festival Coordinator.

Tickets and ticket specials for TT Opera Festival are available now from the Queen’s Hall box office by calling 621-5103, or from the CMDFTT by calling 632-2548, emailing classicalmusictt@gmail.com or visiting www.CMFDTT.org | facebook.com/CMDFTT.