Sam Carl is a rising bass-baritone whose rich, resonant voice and commanding stage presence are drawing increasing attention across European and American stages.  

This season, Sam makes his role debut as Claggart in a revival of Billy Budd at the Glyndebourne Festival under Nicholas Carter. He also debuts at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet as Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin and returns to Opera Ballet Vlaanderen as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, to Dutch National Opera as Angelotti in Barrie Kosky’s Tosca, and to Theater Basel as Banquo in a new production of Macbeth directed by Herbert Fritsch. 

In the 2024–25 season, he returned to Dutch National Opera for two new productions: as Hobson in Peter Grimes, directed by Barbora Horáková and conducted by Lorenzo Viotti, and as Der Geisterbote in Katie Mitchell’s staging of Die Frau ohne Schatten, conducted by Marc Albrecht. He also returned to the Bayerische Staatsoper as Astradamors in Le Grand Macabre, made his role debut as Alidoro in La Cenerentola at the Opéra national de Lorraine (also touring to Caen, Reims, and Luxembourg), and debuted as Timur in Christof Loy’s new production of Turandot at Theater Basel. His U.S. debut followed soon after, in the role of Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress for Des Moines Metro Opera. 

Other recent highlights include his debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper as Panthée in a new production of Les Troyens, his return to Dutch National Opera as La Talpa/Betto di Signa in Il trittico and as Der Holzhacker in Königskinder, his debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu as Prince Gremin, and multiple appearances at the Glyndebourne Festival, including as Leporello in Don Giovanni, as Achilla in Giulio Cesare, and as Nick Shadow. He has also appeared at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen as Mephistopheles in Robert Schumann’s Szenen aus Goethes Faust, and at the Staatstheater Darmstadt as Colline in La bohème and in the title role of Don Quichotte.

photo credit: Jacobus Snyman