"I was particularly impressed with Sam Young’s warmly resonant baritone. He brought depth and humanity to the role of Aeneas, a character who can easily fade into the background in less attentive productions. He has a beautifully resonant voice that could fill the house whilst never sacrificing clarity - one to watch” - Opera Now, Gramophone
British baritone Sam Young studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he was awarded the Chartered Surveyors Vocal Prize, and previously graduated from Bath Spa University. He is a Young Artist with Opera Prelude for 2024/2025, and previously an Emerging Artist with Longborough Festival Opera. In 2023, he was recipient of the Young Artist Award in conjunction with the Strand International Festival of Song.
In 2025, Sam debuted several new roles, including Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas; Bartolo cover in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Longborough Festival Opera); Marcello in La La bohème (Devon Opera); Belcore/Dulcamara in The Implausible Potions of Dr Dulcamara (L'elisir d'amore) (Longborough/Playground Opera). His previous roles include Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro (Hewlett Opera Company); Sergeant in La bohème (Longborough Festival Opera); Morales/Escamillo in Carmen Reimagined (Rogue Opera); the title role in Don Giovanni (Hurn Court Opera); Customs Officer cover in La bohème (Glyndebourne Tour); Guglielmo in Così fan tutte (St Bartholomew's Orchestra); La Comte Ludorf in La Nonne Sanglante (Gothic Opera, UK premiere, Off-West End Awards winner, Best Opera Production 2022); Papageno in The Magic Flute, Captain Corcoran in HMS Pinafore, Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance, Mikado in The Mikado (Opera Anywhere, UK tour); Moralès in Carmen (Oxford Opera); Leporello in Don Giovanni (Rogue Opera). Sam has also been a member of the chorus with companies including English National Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera/Tour.
Sam has performed as part of concerts all over the UK and in Europe. In 2025, he made his recital debut at Bechstein Hall, London. He performed as part of Downton Abbey Live in 2019 with the Chamber Orchestra of London at Highclere Castle, and again with the City Lights Symphony Orchestra at KKL Luzern, Switzerland. Other solo concert and oratorio credits include the title role in Mendlessohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Requiem; Orff’s Carmina Burana; Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem; Handel’s Messiah; Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Opera in the City Festival); Jesus in Bach’s St John’s Passion; Haman in Handel’s Esther.