Royal Academy of Music

Samantha Quillish Soprano

Recipient of Independent Opera Voice Scholarship 2019

Born in Ascot, soprano Samantha Quillish is currently studying with Royal Academy Opera under the tutelage of Nuccia Focile and Ingrid Surgenor. She is a recipient of an Independent Opera Voice Scholarship and Fellowship and is also generously supported by the Dame Eva Turner Scholarship. Samantha previously studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where she was awarded a first class Bachelors degree in Music (with honours). During her studies at the Academy Samantha has also been awarded a Dip Ram for an outstanding final recital, the G Embley Memorial Prize, finalist in the Bicentenary Prize and the 2017-18 Clifton Prize for Singing.

Operatic performances have included the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, Iris in Handel's Semele and the Owl in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen. Samantha has also performed in opera scenes as Eurydice in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Eurydice, the Countess in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Anne Truelove in Stravinsky’s The Rakes Progress. Recent solo engagements have included soprano soloist in Mahler's Second Symphony and Vivaldi's Gloria alongside concert performances at Champ’s Hill with Dame Felicity Lott, at Lady Solti’s home as well as a variety of London venues as a member of the Academy’s distinguished Song Circle. Samantha has also performed in public masterclasses with Susan Bullock in London, Carolyn Sampson in Glasgow and Ubaldo Fabbri in Novafeltria, Italy.

Samantha is looking forward to performing the role of Nina in Cherubin with Royal Academy Opera as well as performing her first Verdi Requiem in December. In the new year Samantha is looking forward to her debut at the Wigmore Hall with Academy Song Circle in January followed by another performance in this venue for the Bicentenary Final.

This biography was published in October 2019.