David Truslove talks to Samantha about her developing career
DT I believe you describe yourself as Australian/British. Where were you born and where do you consider home?
SC My parents are Zimbabwean and were living in the UK when I was born, so I originally come from Surrey. We returned to Zimbabwe before moving to South Africa and then emigrated to Australia when I was 9. I consider Australia home. Australia is where my husband, immediate family and a lot of my friends are, but London also feels like home.
DT Were your parents musical?
SC My mum has a really lovely voice, and music would always be playing in the house when I was growing up. My parents were very supportive of my passion for music but neither of them had a career in music.
DT How would you describe your musical development from school to Conservatoire?
SC During school I had my eyes set on Musical Theatre, but I don’t think I ever thought opera was an option, it seemed so grown up. My singing teacher urged me to audition for the Classical Voice course at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), and it was in my second year in Perth that I sang Beth in Mark Adamo’s opera Little Women.
I then gained a scholarship through the IFAC Australian Singing Competition to train at The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester where I studied for two years. My teacher, Mary Plazas, opened my eyes to opera.
I later gained a place on the Opera course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where I began learning with Yvonne Kenny who aligned so well with what I had learnt at RNCM.
DT Were there any sopranos that you especially admired?
SC Mirella Freni and Lucia Popp are two singers that I will always listen to if I am learning a role. I love everything they do.
DT You seem to have slipped into several major roles since leaving the UK. Presumably, you had some apprentice years?
SC My first year after finishing at the Guildhall was interrupted by Covid, so my apprentice year was when the world had locked down. But I managed to make my debut with Opera North (Musetta), and the Munich Radio Orchestra before flying back to Australia. In April 2020 I was supposed to start rehearsals for The Turn of the Screw (the Governess), and my debut with the Royal Ballet and Opera never happened. I returned to the UK in 2022 and had a wonderful summer performing Tytania in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Grange and Fiordiligi with Dorset Opera, and then my first BBC Prom.
DT Now with some operatic experience behind you, how would you define your soprano voice? Lyric, coloratura or other?
SC I consider myself a lyric soprano. I don’t know how much longer I can call myself a young lyric (haha!) but definitely moving into more lyric repertoire.
DT In Perth, Australia you sang Violetta in La traviata to great acclaim. What do you think you’ve learnt about the character and its challenges since you first sang the role?
SC One of the main challenges is finding stillness and being centred in this character who throughout the whole show is just surviving. I have since sung the role twice with Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House, where I felt guilty comparing myself to other incredible artists who have sung this character. Violetta is such an iconic role, and I put a lot of pressure on myself to deliver. Now I’m comfortable with what I bring to the role and my performance.
DT Are you preparing the role any differently from your first encounter?
SC I think you are always developing, improving and evolving. I have had more life experiences since I first performed Violetta, so I bring those with me. Working with Richard Farnes here at the Grange has just been so incredible – he is such an expert on the style but is so collaborative with his approach.
DT Presumably the interpretation of Violetta at the Grange is something agreed jointly?
SC You bring your own interpretation of the character and your intentions, while the director has a vision they want to bring to life. My job is to bridge those two, making sure the vision feels authentic and natural through my performance. Singing for me is so intrinsically linked to dramatic motivation so my homework is to always make sure I feel and understand that connection.
DT When you debuted Violetta in Australia, the director Sarah Giles explored La traviata via a feminist interpretation. Are you able to provide any clues about this new staging at the Grange under Maxine Braham?
SC As a female director, you inherently bring your lived experience as a woman to the work. Whether that’s feminist or not, I’m not sure. I wouldn’t label either of these productions as explicitly feminist, but they certainly aim to explore the world through Violetta’s perspective – especially the struggle of surviving in a society where her primary purpose was to please men.
DT You’ve already sung the roles of Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) and Anne Trulove (The Rake’s Progress). Are there any roles you’re passionate about?
SC The Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro) holds a special place in my heart, and I’d be thrilled to take on the role of Mimi (La bohème) in the future. Also, I think Adina (L’elisir d’amore) is such a fun character and I just love singing the whole role.
DT What plans do you have in the foreseeable future?
SC I have my Edinburgh Festival debut in August where I’ll be performing the roles of Amor and Euridice in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. It’san exciting collaboration with Opera Australia and Circa Ensemble, working with Iestyn Davies, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Laurence Cummings.
I’m also looking forward to Britten’s Les Illuminations with Ed Gardner and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Then I’ll be the Woodbird in Wagner’s Siegfried with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under Simone Young.
My ENO debut is just around the corner, where I’m taking on Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) in February (2026). I’m also looking forward to revisiting Violetta in Sara Gile’s production with Opera Australia.
Thank you Samantha and we wish you every success in the forthcoming production of La traviata at the Grange Festival which runs from June 4th until July 6th.
All photos © Benjamin Ealovega courtesy of Askonas Holt