ABOUT
SAMUEL
"Kidd's is definitely a voice to watch in the future."
“Second-year Adler Fellow Samuel Kidd and debuting bass Bogdan Talos rounded out the cast with mesmerizing turns as Schaunard and Colline, the final two in the Bohemian quartet. Kidd’s is definitely a voice to watch in the future, especially following his memorable roles as Steersman in last fall’s Tristan und Isolde and Moralès in Carmen. “
PARTERRE
LA BOHÈME, SAN FRANCISCO OPERA
biography
A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Samuel Kidd, baritone, is establishing himself as a versatile and engaging performer. This season he returns to the prestigious Adler Fellowship Program at San Francisco Opera, where he will sing the role of Schaunard in La bohème, in addition to appearances with Opera Naples as Papageno in The Magic Flute. In March, 2025, Samuel was named a National Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Last season, Sam made his San Francisco Opera debut singing the roles of Silvano in Un Ballo in Maschera, Morales in Carmen, and Steuermann in Tristan und Isolde. ​A student of renowned pedagogue Gerald Martin Moore, other recent highlights include Tarquinius in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia with the Merola Opera Program, Belcore from Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and Tarquinius with Yale Opera, and Onegin from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at The Music Academy of the West.
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At home on the opera stage, Sam is equally as passionate about art song and recital singing, in particular German Lieder. In the fall of 2023 Sam returned to The New York Festival of Song for their Perennials program. His 2023 performance in the Merola Opera Program’s Metamorphasis recital was praised for its “cohesive blend of caressing phrases and dynamic intensity” (Classical Voice San Francisco). In November 2022 he appeared with the Cincinnati Song Initiative performing Mahler's Kindertotenlieder. ​In April 2021 he participated in the Caramoor Rising Star program, directed and curated by Steven Blier. He was also featured in the New York Festival of Song online season in September 2020.
Samuel enjoys oratorio and choral singing, having performed the baritone solos in Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with the University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Haydn’s Creation and Mozart’s Requiem with the Plymouth Oratorio Society, and bass solos in Bach’s Mass in B minor and Montiverdi’s 1610 Vespers with Audivi and the Michigan Bach Collective.
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When not singing or learning music, Sam loves to try new recipes in the kitchen, play golf or basketball, read political and economic theory, watch classic movies, and relax with his tuxedo cat, Manon.
“First-year Adler baritone Samuel Kidd brought a sense of hopefulness and innocence to the role of Cristiano, the sailor that Gustavus granted promotion at Ulrica’s place.”
PARTERRE BOX
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA
Photo: Un ballo in Maschera, San Francisco Opera/Cory Weaver
rECITALs
A passionate recitalist, Sam has enjoyed performances with The New York Festival of Song, Merola Opera Program, Adler Fellow Program, Caramoor, and Cincinnati Song Initiative, among others. Especially drawn to German Lieder, he has given multiple performances of Schubert's Winterreise and Mahler's Kindertotenlieder. Other projects include recitals centering on Rorem's timeless War Scenes, Britten's astonishing cycle Songs and Proverbs of William Blake, and Ravel's Histoires naturelles.