SAMANTHA HANKEY
ROMEO ET JULIETTE
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STÉPHANO
The Metropolitan Opera
March 2024
"Mezzo Samantha Hankey was a supernova as she took her opportunity to glisten in the evening’s firmament as Stephano in the defiant 'Que fais-tu, blanche tourterelle?' which set off the chain of tragic events the evening had ahead for us."
BROADWAY WORLD
"Mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey brought a cool, dramatic edge to Stéphano."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"...she made the most of her jaunty ditty which she capped with a sizzling high C!"
OBSERVER
“Samantha Hankey stole the spotlight as the page Stéphano, tackling her aria’s high tessitura with insouciant ease.”
BACHTRACK
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
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DORABELLA
Opernhaus Zürich
January 2024
"...she gained in strength during the performance and offered one of the best accounts of the role of Dorabella I have ever heard live in the theatre, firm and clear in every register, bright, ringing top notes and Mozartian in manner."
I HEAR VOICES
"Ms. Hankey’s Santuzza was heart-wrenching, and she absolutely poured herself out on stage."
BROADWAY WORLD
"Samantha Hankey was a glorious Santuzza, in vocal command from the first. With that kind of full, ardent voice, we’re always going to be on her side...Hankey and Smith’s duet tore at us as it does at them, but it is not until we know that he knows that he is going to die that we begin to forgive him for playing the field."
BACHTRACK
"Soprano Samantha Hankey dominated Cavalleria in the role of Santuzza, the scorned and pregnant girlfriend, which she sang with fervor and sort of translucent beauty. Her “Voi lo sapete o mamma,” in which she detailed the complexity of her situation, was delivered with rare conviction."
THE KANSAS CITY INDEPENDENT
CAVALLERIA
RUSTICANA
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SANTUZZA
Lyric Opera of Kansas City
September/October 2023
Pelleas et Melisande
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MÉLISANDE
Santa Fe Opera
July 2023
Hankey’s performance is the stand-out in this show—her singing is lovely, but her acting also is visceral, embodying both loneliness and terror vividly.
SANTA FE REPORTER
"...the mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey sang Mélisande with a weighty lower range and a mixture of chilliness and seeping passion. Another commanding stage presence — whether here, or earlier this season as Octavian in “Der Rosenkavalier” at the Metropolitan Opera — she is emerging as a major artist of her generation.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Samantha Hankey is a maddening, ambiguous Mélisande, sometimes girlish, and far more than a wilting medieval heroine."
CONCERTONET
"...Mélisande, sung beautifully by Samantha Hankey..."
CULTUREVULTURE
CARNEGIE
HALL
H
IN RECITAL
Weill Recital Hall
New York, NY - March 2023
"SAMANTHA HANKEY, in her March 10 Weill Recital Hall debut, stayed within the realm of late Romanticism, offering works by Strauss, Alma Mahler, Zemlinsky, Ravel and Satie, along with early, tonal Schoenberg and Berg. The bill of fare reflected disciplined programming: rather than presenting a miscellany chosen to demonstrate her various capabilities, Hankey explored one particular corner of the song repertory, inviting us to draw lines of connection between the works and their composers....Some of the material was familiar (three of Berg’s Sieben Frühe Leider, Strauss’s “Frühlingsfeier”); more of it was not; all of it was compelling. The material was a canny fit for Hankey’s particular gifts. Her warm, generous lyric mezzo-soprano is a Romantic instrument in itself; moreover, her exemplary musicianship allowed her to navigate the songs’ chromaticisms precisely and convincingly."
OPERA NEWS
der rosenkavalier
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OCTAVIAN
The Metropolitan Opera
March 2023
During Tàr, Todd Field’s recent mesmerizing film about power and predation in classical music, “Samantha Hankey” whizzes by in a shower of real name-dropping. Though fictional Lydia Tàr dismisses Hankey, real-life Met audiences loudly embraced her as a superb Octavian, one of opera’s greatest trouser roles. Her vibrant mezzo impeccably and tirelessly traces the young man’s tumultuous maturation from the Marschallin’s gushing boy-toy to Sophie’s stalwart defender. Hankey clearly relishes her/his disguise as the maid Mariandel, eschewing the off-pitch whining some mezzos adopt for that subterfuge. Time stands still when Hankey joins Morley in a heavenly “Presentation of the Rose.”
OBSERVER
"Her big, scintillating voice was hard to ignore and she got the teenage angst (and fickleness) just right."
BROADWAY WORLD
Samantha Hankey also had an excellent night, partnering Davidsen as a fresh-faced, cheeky, often watchful Octavian. The presentation of the rose was pure romantic fantasy, with Morley’s crystalline soprano shimmering and sparkling above the quivering exhilaration of Hankey’s vibrant mezzo.
OPERA NEWS
"The first sounds out of soprano Lise Davidsen’s Marschallin and mezzo Samantha Hankey’s Octavian were startlingly powerful."
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Remarkable on Monday was the mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey, singing the role of Octavian at the Met for the first time. She made even bigger the mighty yet smooth sound, as well as the tireless energy and dramatic skill, that she brought to her performances last year in a “Rosenkavalier” at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich.
NEW YORK TIMES
"[Joyce DiDonato] was one of the performances of the year. Another was the mezzo Samantha Hankey’s alert, youthful Octavian in Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier."
NEW YORK TIMES
"...they seamlessly delivered the music with full voices and appropriate intensity."
SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL
"Mezzo Samantha Hankey, making her Lyric debut, sings a charming and boyish Hansel, at best when he’s being protective of his sister."
PARTERRE BOX
HANSEL UND GRETEL
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H
HÄNSEL
Lyric Opera of Chicago
February 2023
AINADAMAR
LORCA
Scottish Opera
October & November 2022
"For my money it was Samantha Hankey, in the trouser role as Lorca, whose astonishing mezzo range made her the star turn, her Mariana aria utterly exquisite."
THE HERALD
“Lorca himself is conceived as a trouser role, giving him a certain lightness and grace in mezzo Samantha Hankey’s delicately voiced, dramatically centred interpretation.”
THE STAGE
“At the heart of this intoxicating cocktail are the seductive Lauren Fagan as Margarita, Julieth Lozano as the adoring Nuria, Samantha Hankey’s otherworldly Lorca and the searing thrill of Alfredo Tejeda’s authentic flamenco singing.”
THE SCOTSMAN
“American mezzo Samantha Hankey gave a dramatic performance and shone across her wide vocal range in the trouser role of Lorca."
BACHTRACK
"Mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey sings Lorca with dusky focus and hypnotic allure, evoking pathos for the victim of violence but also heroism that transcends it.”
THE TIMES
“The weight of her grief is excellently counterbalanced by mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey’s light, charming, and hopeful portrayal of Lorca prior to his death."
THE WEE REVIEW
"Samantha Hankey (winner of the first Glyndebourne Opera Cup) with much elegance and youthful tone."
FINANCIAL TIMES
"As Ruggiero, mezzo Samantha Hankey makes something psychologically interesting out of her tormented character… time stands still for Ruggiero’s luminous “Verdi prati”."
INEWS
"Impeccably stylish."
THE GUARDIAN
ALCINA
RUGGIERO
Glyndebourne
June 2022
“She is matched in virtuosity, however, both by the Ruggiero of Samantha Hankey and the Bradamante of Beth Taylor. Hankey, triumphant with added horns in “Stà nell’Ircana”, shows off a clear and sharply etched voice."
THE TELEGRAPH
"Mezzo Samantha Hankey shines in the role of Alcina’s current innamorato, former warrior-turned-lover-boy Ruggiero."
THE STAGE
ALICE TULLY recital
MEZZO SOPRANO
New York City
April 2022
“She revealed superb recital skills, excellent audience rapport, and a natural and effective use of stage movement.”
OPERA NEWS
“Debussy’s Chansons de Bilitis revealed Hankey’s vocal sensuality, delightfully shy as the narrator of “La flute de Pan” stays out too late, smoky and mature in the erotically charged “La chevelure” and seriously detached in “Le tombeau des Naiades,” where Zeger’s understated control of color was exemplary. A group of Strauss songs showcased the gleaming beauty and vibrancy of her upper range.”
OPERA NEWS
"Last night’s recital at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center was a relevation.”
A GERTUS HISTORY OF MUSIC
“The recital’s highlight was Alban Berg’s cycle of Seven Early Songs, where both artists captured the stifling, hot-house atmosphere, with the appropriately veiled opening of “Nacht” opening up to its blooming and ecstatic second verse. Whether high and delicate (the end of “Traumgekrönt”), stately (“Sommertage”) or charming (“Im Zimmer”), Hankey’s detailed coloring and phrasing were admirable.”
OPERA NEWS
"A truly great Straussian is on the verge of international superstardom.”
A GERTUS HISTORY OF MUSIC
“Samantha’s golden tone and natural were on full display all evening, but her artistry is what stood out clearest. Sensitively accompanied by Brian Zeger, Samantha dug deep into Debussy’s hazy sonic landscapes, creating an intimate world where music is at its most natural and unexpected. But it is, as always with Samantha, the Strauss that leaves the most lasting impression.”
A GERTUS HISTORY OF MUSIC
COSI FAN
TUTTE
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DORABELLA
San Diego Opera
February 2022
"Mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey as Dorabella and tenor Konu Kim as Ferrando stood out from the rest of the cast. Ms. Hankey’s voice was of adequate size for the house and was remarkably consistent in tone and timbre from top to bottom."
SAN DIEGO READER
"Mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey sings Dorabella…with ease and grace."
THE SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE
"As Dorabella, mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey's warmly touching "Smanie implacabili" was a highlight."
BROADWAY WORLD
CINDERELLA
PRINCE CHARMING
The Metropolitan Opera
December 2021
“Samantha Hankey’s Prince Charming was the perfect complement to Boulianne’s Cinderella. A darker, silkier voice, Hankey offered a performance that was grounded yet luxuriant, cozy yet impassioned.
Her Prince Charming possessed a quiet, sensitive masculinity and a rare warmth that offset some of the major pitfalls of the character. In the wrong hands, Massenet’s prince can seem mopey, spoilt, and pushy; Hankey avoided this by exposing Prince Charming’s vulnerability, emphasizing his idealism and his innocence – an altogether endearing portrayal.
The love duets between Hankey and Boulianne were, indisputably, the musical highlights of this performance: perfectly balanced, delicately blended, and brimming with tenderness."
PARTERRE BOX
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS
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THE COMPOSER
Gran Teatre del Liceu
September 2021
"The undisputed of the night was the American Samantha Hankey, who appeared resolutely in the role of the Composer with agile phrasing and who won the attention of viewers on the night of the premiere."
BACHTRACK
"Although undoubtedly the protagonist of the evening was the excellent mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey, a voice that has been emerging at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich and which should be followed very closely. Its composer was a model of virtues, an example of what Straussian chant should be: cleanliness in the broadcast, stimulating phrasing, naturalness, ability to color the instrument at will. The American mezzo-soprano raised the level of the evening in an obvious way."
PLATEA MAGAZINE
"The first cast of the show features a sensational performer, mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey in the service of the composer. Ductile voice, with velvety center and no projection problems; despite singing only in the prologue, she was the undisputed winner."
ARA
“Different was the work of mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey in the role of the composer of the opera (the role of a man played by a woman). His was a very convincing, very round execution, he showed a very seductive voice that perfectly conveyed the mood of his character. For me, the best of the night."
LLEGIR
"Mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey in the part of the Composer sings with good taste, revealing a well-handled voice that had no problems reaching the audience."
SEEN & HEARD INTERNATIONAL
“Samantha Hankey sang and acted an extraordinary Octavian, full-voiced and expressive at all times."
OPERA NEWS
"Samantha Hankey is as handsome and convincing an Octavian as any I’ve seen, providing what Kosky calls that Ovid-Metamorphoses frisson of sexy boy-girl."
THE ARTS DESK
"The third act of this production applies to the title character of the work, Octavian. There is not too much to betray, you just have to experience it for yourself! Kosky leads the "Theater auf dem Theater" ad absurdum and stages at an incredible pace. With the disguise and the exaggerated drama, he makes the character of Octavian appear as an actor par excellence. Samantha Hankey captivated with passionate, charismatic representation while at the same time accurately following the vocal line. The part of the Octavian was ideal for its creamy-intensive mezzo voice."
OPERNMAGAZIN
DER ROSENKAVALIER
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OCTAVIAN
Bayerische Staatsoper
March 2021
"Samantha Hankey is a discovery, she has just entered the Bayerische Staatsoper troupe, and she shows authentic qualities both on stage and in the voice;she knows how to have the desired genre ambiguity in her acting (the very beginning of the very convincing first act) and vocally: she has the accents, the power, the irony (in Mariandl): she is never stiff, always committed and with qualities of control and diction that are also exemplary for her (American school requires): her composition as Mariandl is particularly convincing because, contrary to often, she does not play "the man who plays the girl", Kosky wanted to play on ambiguities and makes her a fully feminine Mariandl, as she is very natural in a very adolescent Octavian, still in the making. With a strong and seated voice, she composes an Octavian here again perfectly in tune with the staging. A voice to follow: it has everything of a great one."
WANDERER
"Samantha Hankey gives a vigorous edge to Octavian while registering the character’s latent self-awareness of his impetuosity. This plays out poignantly in act 3 when Octavian realizes his relationship with the Marschallin is over."
CAN YOU NOT HEAR IT?
"We salute even more the smashing entrance to Samantha Hankey's loose and mesmerizing timbre, Octavian with a disarming smile, enamel complexion, then hilarious Mariandel, alone this "rainbow of possibilities of identities" traced by a work close to Ovid's Metamorphoses."
RES MUSICA
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
CHERUBINO
Opernhaus Zürich
June & July 2019
"Hankey gives a masculine Cherubino, the character of the teenage boy with a libido for two and a suspicion that he might actually be in love. Her ‘Non so più’ was lavishly good, with none of the wide-eyed gee-whiz-aw-shucks blandness that other singers impose; Hankey only turned dreamy at the very end of the aria, when she still maintained the character’s boastfulness amidst genuine naiveté."
SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL
AGRIPPINA
AGRIPPINA
Turku Music Festival
June 2019
“The intensity during the evening grew steadily and the same can be said about the performance of the protagonist Samantha Hankey. Like Agrippina, she was superb, just cold and full of authority and desire for power.”
HUFVUDSTADSBLADET
“Agrippina's artist, the US-based Samantha Hankey, has a fabulous, metallic sound, fine technical skills and a sculpturally superb nature. She was a dangerous and impressive sculptor on the scene."
HELSINGEN SANOMAT
“Agrippina was sung by Samantha Hankey, the 26-year-old American mezzo-soprano, who in spite of her young age had the vocal and charismatic backbone it took to portray Nero’s mother. Her marvelously rich mezzo bent for all the different tones of plotting from wheedling to putting people to their place.”
TURUN SANOMAT
der ring des nibelungen
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WELLGUNDE
The Metropolitan Opera
March-May 2019
"The three Rhinemaidens were performed by Amanda Woodbury, Tamara Mumford, and Samantha Hankey were everything you’d want from the trio. They were having a blast during that opening scene... Their singing had purity that combined beautifully throughout their ensembles."
OPERA NEWS
"Amanda Woodbury, Samantha Hankey and Tamara Mumford, as the three Rhinemaidens: All sang strongly."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Amanda Woodbury, Samantha Hankey, and Tamara Mumford all sparkled as the three Rhinemaidens, Woglinde, Wellgunde, and Flosshilde."
NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
“That opening scene with the Rhinemaidens (the wonderful trio of Tamara Mumford, Samantha Hankey and Amanda Woodbury) sets up the whole tetralogy, as they taunt the dwarf Alberich (an exciting debut for Polish baritone Tomasz Konieczny), who would be happy to hook up with any of them but hasn't a glimmer of a chance.”
BROADWAY WORLD
"In the roles of the three Rhinemaidens, Amanda Woodbury, Samantha Hankey, and Tamara Mumford were in sync with one another throughout as they toyed and then warned Siegfried of his impending doom. There was general grace in their singing and their carefree manner with the young hero drew laughter and general enjoyment from the audience."
OPERAWIRE
“One more notable entry in the cast: mezzo Samantha Hankey—who I've watched since her days at Juilliard—as an earthy Countess Ceprano.”
BROADWAY WORLD
"Samantha Hankey, with just a few lines to sing as Countess Ceprano, made an impact in a platinum-blond wing and skintight, sequined dress à la Marilyn Monroe."
SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL
"This week, Grigolo made A-sharp ice cream out of “Mobile” and hit all of the Mantuan’s big marks. When he approached the Countess Ceprano (star-in-the-making Samantha Hankey, one to watch), you got the feeling the Count/Grigolo might actually be more turned on by a rejection because, heyo, change of pace."
PARTERRE BOX
RIGOLETTO
COUNTESS CEPRANO
The Metropolitan Opera
February-May 2019
CARMEN
“Samantha Hankey showed a dark, firm mezzo-soprano as Mercédès."
NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
The Metropolitan Opera
January & February 2019
MERCÉDÈS
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR
MLLE DANGEVILLE
The Metropolitan Opera
December 2018-January 2019
“The quartet of actors sung by Samantha Hankey, Patrick Carfizzi, Sarah Joy Miller, and Tony Stevenson were also enjoyable in their brief scenes, bringing comic timing and thrilling vocal fireworks."
OPERAWIRE
MEFISTOFELE
S
PANTALIS
The Metropolitan Opera
November & December 2018
"In her company debut, the gifted American mezzo Samantha Hankey showed her fine timbre as Pantalis"
OPERA NEWS
"And as Pantalis, the company debut of mezzo Samantha Hankey, who is going to be a very big deal someday."
PARTERRE BOX
"Mezzo Samantha Hankey made a good debut as Pantalis, Helen's handmaid, and I look forward to hearing her in something more substantial."
BROADWAY WORLD
"The dark-toned Samantha Hankey impressed as Pantalis, Helen’s companion."
BACH TRACK
"Samantha Hankey... showed a warm contralto in her company debut as Pantalis."
NEW YORK CLASSICAL REVIEW
THE ROSE ELF
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THE ELF
The Angel's Share
June 2018
"In the title role, Samantha Hankey gave a vividly dramatic yet otherworldy performance."
OPERA NEWS
"That the Elf’s vocal line also dips down into a sustained, almost jazzy chest register more than suits mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey in the role. Neither visually nor aurally is she the mite of Andersen’s story; rather, she could be Hecate or Parvati, a fully bloomed goddess of creation and destruction."
OBSERVER
"As the titular Rose Elf, Samantha Hankey was something of a charming contradiction: practically helpless, but tremendous in both voice and presence. Within the confines of the catacombs, there were even moments when Hankey’s resonance could be felt through my very clothes."
OPERAWIRE
"The luminous voice and commanding physical presence of the mezzo Samantha Hankey – tall and statuesque in a silvery dress, her hands and part of her face stained red – embodied the title character’s hidden strength instead of Tinkerbell clichés."
NATIONAL SAWDUST
"Carrying the significant weight of the vocal element and acting as a kind of Greek chorus throughout, Hankey’s engaging presence and exquisite instrument endowed her with a shrewd ability to guide the listener through the underlying dramatism of the work. As she paced up and down the gallery, following, leading and at times becoming physically entangled within the orgiastic trio of siblings and lovers she was wont to observe, her portrayal of the dilemma of the Elf grounded the arc of the story even at its most abstract moments."
I CARE IF YOU LISTEN
"Mezzo-soprano and rising powerhouse Samantha Hankey starred as the Elf and did not disappoint... her luxurious and vibrant sound navigating an enormous range with seeming ease and impeccable dramatic intent."
HEDONIST SHEDONIST
GLYNDEBOURNE OPERA CUP
First Prize Winner
March 2018
"Yet few would deny that justice was done when Dame Janet Baker, as honorary chair of the judging panel, presented the top award to Massachusetts-born mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey... the coveted prize was won the hard way through brilliantly expressive accounts, superbly acted with minimal stage fuss, of two non-da Ponte arias, "Va pure ad altri in braccio" from La finta giardiniera and Sesto's exquisite "Parto, ma tu ben mio" from La clemenza di Tito. In their citation the judging panel noted that throughout the competition, from the heats to the final, Hankey had been a winner. "She has amazing stage presence and a beautiful voice that can be used in various sizes of theater. She understood what she was singing about, and she conveyed it with absolute clarity and wonderful musical intelligence." After hearing her luminous performances I doubt anyone would disagree."
MUSICAL AMERICA
"And it was with Sesto that the 25-year-old American mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey scooped not only our media award, but also the first prize of the main jury. Of all the singers, she seemed the most polished, golden of tone and convincing in inhabiting the complex worlds of her chosen arias. She navigated "Parto" with poise and subtlety, owning the character and coordinating with the clarinet as if effortlessly; and she drew us in also to a splendidly accomplished account of "Va pure ad altri in braccio" from La finta giardiniera. She has a natural charisma, centring on the voice itself; Hankey maintained grace and elegance, allowing her unfailing musicality to shine through."
THE ARTS DESK
summer in concert
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MS. HANKEY IN RECITAL
WXQR (New York City)
Rockport Music (Rockport, MA)
IMA Liederabend (Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz)
June & July 2018
"The featured artists mixed accomplished instrumentalists, who had performed at Rockport before with a singer in the early part of an international career who grew up on the south shore making her debut at the festival. Hankey, a native of Marshfield... wields a sizable voice, rich and warm in tone, whose registers connect from top to bottom virtually seamlessly. Her first phrases in Gestillte Sehnsucht (Stilled Longing) strikingly revealed her plush, contralto-like lower range."
THE BOSTON MUSICAL INTELLIGENCER
"La mezzo américaine Samantha Hankey s’exprime dans un parfait français, avec une voix chaude et cuivrée, et une présence scénique affirmée…”
OPERA ONLINE
“S’il n’apporte rien au plan dramatique, il permet de découvrir les beaux moyens de la jeune mezzo-soprano américaine Samantha Hankey, avec son joli vibrato et sa profonde musicalité.”
ÔLYRIX
“L’occasion d'apprécier la musicalité et le joli timbre de la jeune mezzo américaine Samantha Hankey.”
LE MONDE
FAUST
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SIÉBEL
Grand Théâtre de Genéve
February 2018
IL BARBIERE
DI SIVIGLIA
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ROSINA
Den Norske Opera
October 2017 - January 2018
"Of the lovers, Samantha Hankey makes the bigger impact as a punk-ish Rosina who is clearly going to be too much of a handful for her hapless and deluded guardian. She sang with power and poise and held the attention even on a crowded stage.”
PLAYS TO SEE
MEROLA GRAND FINALE
Componist (Ariadne auf Naxos)
August 19, 2017
"In the midst of so much young talent and promise, there was also mature, accomplished artistry as Samantha Hankey became Richard Strauss’s Composer — voice and presence — in an affecting performance. With Jana McIntyre as Zerbinetta, this was a gripping Prelude to Ariadne auf Naxos. This came just days after Hankey also conquered in the title role in the Merola Program’s Cenerentola."
SAN FRANCISCO CLASSICAL VOICE
"But in this 2017 Merola Grand Finale it took second place to the next offering, which featured soprano Jana McIntyre as Zerbinetta and mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey as the Composer in “Sie hält ihn für den Todesgott” from Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss. I can’t say enough about the outstanding vocalism displayed here by McIntyre and Hankey. McIntyre’s soprano was limpid and ardent, and Hankey’s mezzo was dusky at one moment and brightly radiant at other moments. The musical interchange between McIntyre and Hankey was full of intelligence and passion. These two singers will surely go far in their careers!"
THE BERKLEY DAILY PLANET
LA CENERENTOLA
ANGELINA
Merola Opera Program
August 2017
"It is this Cinderella figure whose goodness radiates through the opera and Merola scored a triumph by casting Samantha Hankey...whose temperament and technique seem ideal for this assignment. The voice is lushly distinctive in the lower register, and as the finale confirmed, fluent and expansive in coloratura forays."
OPERA NEWS
"Pride of place, however, goes to mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey for her interpretation of the role of Angelina, aka Cenerentola. When we first meet Angelina, she sits by the fire in her kitchen and sings to herself a wispy little song, “Una volta c’éra un re”/”Once upon a time there was a king.” Singing quietly, and low in the mezzo register, Hankey’s voice does not immediately impress. But, oh my, when she moves up the register and lets loose her voice, Samantha Hankey reveals glorious tone, impressive high notes, and superb vocal technique. Her coloratura is a thing of beauty! Moreover, Hankey is a fine actress, one who dramatically portrays the goodness, innocence and graciousness of her Cinderella character. Samantha Hankey is definitely a singer to watch!...Vocally, of course, Rossini’s La Cenerentola is full of florid coloratura passages, especially for Angelina; and her high-flying aria “Naqui all’affano” toward the opera’s end was gorgeous indeed."
BERKELEY DAILY PLANET
KATYA KABANOVA
VARVARA
The Juilliard School
April 2017
"Samantha Hankey, recently the company's phenomenal Agrippina, excelled at Varvara's totally different challenges."
OPERA NEWS
"The free-spirited Varvara, Káťa’s confidante, was interpreted by mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey, whose lovely, luminous voice will definitely allow her to tackle meatier roles down the road."
BACHTRACK
METROPOLITAN OPERA NATIONAL COUNCIL AUDITIONS
Grand Finals Winner
March 19, 2017
"The other female standout was Samantha Hankey, equally gripping in deeply affecting accounts of “Parto, parto,” from Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito and Joan’s aria from Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orleans. One admired not only the handsomeness of Hankey’s rich mezzo but also its power, a resource she drew on only selectively to heighten expression."
MUSICAL AMERICA
AGRIPPINA
AGRIPPINA
The Juilliard School
February 2017
"Two singers gave completely persuasive performances-American mezzo Samantha Hankey and Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński. Hankey zipped through Agrippina's punishing music with beautiful tone, immaculate prosody and queenly authority."
OPERA NEWS
"Samantha Hankey sang Agrippina in a lustrous, commanding mezzo-soprano and clearly relished implementing all the entanglements her character dreams up."
MUSICAL AMERICA
"The young cast was dramatically alert and engaged. The vocal standouts were Samantha Hankey, powerful and accurate in the title role and a fabulous vocal actress..."
GAY CITY NEWS
"Also impressive was his Diana, Samantha Hankey, the most ingenious and economical actor in the cohort of ten singers. A square-shouldered beauty with a maple-flavored mezzo, Hankey was able to indicate with admirable subtlety when she was meant to be the “real” Diana and when she was meant to be the god Giove disguised as Diana. Hankey attacked her “angry” music without sounding harsh or forced and was a lusciously pliant partner in her love scene (as Diana) with Endimione, as well as in her coupling (as Giove in Diana) with the toothsome Calisto of Angela Vallone.
OPERA NEWS
"The afternoon was dominated by a tour-de-force performance by Samantha Hankey as both Diana and Giove transformed into Diana...Hankey, whose Marcellina threatened to steal last spring’s Nozze di Figaro at Juilliard, again revealed a secure, lustrous mezzo which reveled both in Diana’s hesitant dawning love for Endimione and in the disguised Giove’s lusty seduction. She also deftly differentiated the two contrasting personae: the proud, erect goddess of the moon and the brusque, slouching serial seducer distinctly uncomfortable as a woman. One hopes that Juilliard will soon showcase Hankey in a mainstage production... Jakub Józef Orlinski revealed a mellow countertenor (and great guns) as the astral-obsessed shepherd Endimione, and he blended most enchantingly with Hankey in their sensuous “Dolcissimi baci.”"
PARTERRE BOX
"As Diana and the randy Giove-impersonating-Diana, Samantha Hankey had the largest part and handled it with dramatic smarts and vocal aplomb."
GAY CITY NEWS
LA CALISTO
S
DIANA
The Juilliard School
February 2016
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
S
DORABELLA
Aspen Music Festival & School
August 2015
"As her sister, Dorabella, mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey used supple tone that could raise the intensity level when needed. Duets with Dyachek were keenly balanced and beautiful, and her romantic temptation for Guglielmo felt real."
THE ASPEN TIMES
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
MARCELLINA
The Juilliard School
April 2015
"Samantha Hankey, in one of the production’s few worthy choices, played Marcellina as an stylish matron rather than the usual harridan, making her eventual embrace of her newly found son all the more plausible."
OPERA NEWS
"...but the show was nearly stolen by the opulently vigorous Marcellina of Samantha Hankey. Unlike the squawking of aging former Cherubinos we’ve been subjected to in recent years at the Met, she sang the role with a rich full mezzo and pithy flair. Observing the bad old habit of cutting Marcellina’s aria was regrettable as I suspect Hankey would have killed in it."
PARTERRE BOX
"Samantha Hankey made Marcellina anything but matronly and unappealing; her lovely singing was among the afternoon’s highlights."
GAY CITY NEWS