Samuel Mariño

Samuel Mariño (born 26 November 1993) is a Venezuelan-born male soprano opera singer and recitalist.

Early life
Samuel Mariño was born in Caracas, Venezuela, into a family of university professors. Initially training as a ballet dancer at the Venezuelan National School of Dance and studying piano at the National Conservatory in Caracas, Mariño did not begin formal vocal training until his late teens. During puberty, Mariño’s voice did not undergo a typical mutation and retained the high pitch characteristic of prepubescent voice. As a gay teenager with an unusually high voice, he was subject to frequent bullying. Mariño and his family even sought medical advice about lowering his voice through surgery and therapy. He was persuaded to keep his natural soprano and to pursue vocal training and operatic career.

Education and career
Mariño commenced formal vocal study at the National Conservatory in Caracas. His first operatic experience was with Camerata Barroca in Caracas, where he had the opportunity to work with Gustavo Dudamel, Helmuth Rilling, and Theodore Kuchar. Encouraged by his teachers to continue his studies in Europe, Mariño raised funds for his move by making and selling lemon pies with his mother.

In 2013, Mariño moved to France to continue his vocal studies at the Conservatoire de Paris. A decisive role in Mariño's career was played by American soprano Barbara Bonney who became a crucial teacher and mentor guiding Mariño to embrace and develop his natural soprano voice. In 2017, he received the Interpretation Award at the Opéra de Marseille International Singing Competition and won the Neue Stimmen Audience Prize.

Mariño’s debut solo album titled Care Pupille was released on Orfeo in 2020 and featured a collection of rarely recorded works by Handel, Gluck, Cimarosa and Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Following two collaboration recordings with the Chateau de Versailles Spectacles label released in 2021, Mariño was signed by Decca Classics and released his first album with this label in 2022. Sopranista, his debut album with Decca, is nominated for Opus Classik award in the Young Talent of the Year and the Singing (Opera) categories.

Mariño has been widely sought as a recitalist and soloist. In September of 2022, he made his Australian debut in Sydney and Melbourne with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. In February 2023, he was part of the first-ever South Korean tour of the Versailles Royal Opera Orchestra. In April of 2023 Mariño made his Argentinian debut in at Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires with the Gabetta Consort. Later that month, he made his Canadian debut in Toronto with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. His United States debut was in May of 2023 with the Camerata Pacifica in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.

Other notable recent performances included a London debut recital at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Japanese debut in Kyoto in a series of gala concerts for Cartier, a program of virtuoso concert arias for soprano voice by Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven with the Capella Cracoviensis in Krakow, Poland, and a solo recital at the Versailles's Galerie des Glaces featuring arias of Handel, Gluck, Cimarosa, Mozart and Bologne.

In the summer of 2023, Mariño made his United Kingdom operatic debut in Glyndebourne Festival's first-ever production of Handel's Semele with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. In previous years, Mariño's opera roles included Postumio in Graun's Silla, Angelo in Handel's La resurrezione, Demetrio in Gluck's Antigono, Curazio in Cimarosa's Gli Orazi e i Curiazi, Alessandro in Handel's Berenice, Tamiri in Angesi's Il re pastore, the title role in Handel's Teseo and a star turn in the Krystian Lada's queer thriller opera pasticcio Mysteries of Desire. Other engagements included recitals at Bayreuth, Gluck, Handel, Styriarte and Świdnica festivals.

Mariño has been noted for the gender-defying character of his voice, repertoire, and image. In many of his interviews, Mariño said that his unique vocal gift, combined with several distinguishing aspects of his identity, background, and life experience, motivate him to challenge the conventions and boundaries of the opera world and to invite and encourage underrepresented audiences and singers.

Discography

 * Care Pupille: Handel, Gluck, Samuel Mariño, male soprano, with Händelfestspielorchester Halle directed by Michael Hofstetter, released by Orfeo label (2020)
 * Pergolèse, Vivaldi: Stabat Mater pour deux castrats, Samuel Mariño, soprano, Filippo Mineccia, alto, with Orchestre de l'Opéra Royal directed by Marie van Rhijn, released by Château de Versailles Spectacles label (2021)
 * Les 3 Contre-Ténors: Le Concours de Virtuosité des Castrats, Samuel Mariño, Filippo Mineccia, Valer Sabadus, Orchestre de l'Opéra Royal directed by Stefan Plewniak, released by Château de Versailles Spectacles label (2021)
 * Sopranista, Samuel Mariño, sopranista, with La Cetra Barockorchester directed by Andrea Marcon, released by Decca label (2022)
 * Carl Heinrich Graun: Silla (role of Postumio) with Bejun Mehta, Valer Sabadus, Hagen Matzeit, Eleonora Bellocci, Roberta Invernizzi, Mert Sungu, Coro Maghini, Innsbrucker Festwochenorchester directed by Alessandro de Marchi, released by CPO label (2023)
 * Yánez: Viajera del río (Arr. Assad for Voice and Guitar) - Single, Samuel Mariño, Plínio Fernandes, released by Decca Classics label (2023)