Praised as “luscious,” “distinctive,” and “vividly dramatic” by Opera News, American mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey is quickly establishing a name for herself across the United States and abroad. 
 

Highlights of 2021-22 include opening the season of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Opera Barcelona in her role debut as Der Komponist Ariadne auf Naxos, Dorabella Cosí fan tutte at San Diego Opera and Glyndebourne Festival in her first festival appearance as Ruggiero Alcina. Samantha returns to The Metropolitan Opera for the beloved holiday tradition production of Cinderella in December and performs recitals at Alice Tully Hall featuring pianist Brian Zeger and at the Wigmore Hall with Malcolm Martineau. Samantha returns to the Bayerische Staatsoper for Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro and reprises the role of Octavian Der Rosenkavalier, which she debuted to critical acclaim in the 2020-21 season in the eagerly anticipated new production of Barrie Kosky, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. 

Alongside Der Rosenkavalier, Samantha made other notable appearances during her residency at the Bayerische Staatsoper as Hänsel Hänsel und Gretel, Wellgunde Das Rheingold,  Zweite Dame Die Zauberflöte, and as Carmen in Marina Abramović’s new production of 7 Deaths of Maria Callas at the Opernfestspiele.

Other recent significant role and house debuts include Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro (Opernhaus Zürich), Rosina Il barbiere di Siviglia (Den Norske Opera), Zweite Dame (The Dallas Opera) and Siébel Faust (Grand Théâtre de Genève). In addition, Samantha made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Pantalis Mefistofele, and returned to the Met for Adriana Lecouvreur, Carmen, Das Rheingold, Götterdämmerung, and Rigoletto, debuting a myriad of named roles within a single season at the Met. On the concert stage, Samantha performed the title role in Handel’s Agrippina in concert with Il Pomo d’Oro in Turku, Finland, where she was praised by Turun Sanomat for her “marvelously rich mezzo.”