Bass-baritone Samuel Weiser is praised for his “stentonian bass” voice and ability to create “fully formed” characters due to an “acutely sensitive artistic compass” (Washington Classical Review, New Outpost). In 2023-2024, Mr. Weiser sang the roles of the Clerk, Doctor, and Con-Man in The Nose at Chicago Opera Theater and joined Opera Baltimore as Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin. This season, Mr. Weiser performed in a concert with Washington Concert Opera, and returned to the Metropolitan Opera covering the role of Kill Chain: Safety Observer in Grounded, whose workshop he also participated in with Washington National Opera in 2022.  He also makes a highly anticipated role debut as Leporello in Don Giovanni with Livermore Valley Opera.

 

With the Metropolitan Opera last season, he portrayed Count Ribbing in Un ballo in maschera and covered Prison Guard 1 in Dead Man Walking. Other roles with the company include the cover of Waiter 4 in Der Rosenkavalier and Gretch in Giordano’s Fedora.  Mr. Weiser made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 2022 as Flemish Deputy 4 in Don Carlo. Also in 2022, Mr. Weiser made his lauded role and house debut as Alberich in Nashville Opera’s Das Rheingold, which reviewers described as “the standout performance” of the opera (New Outpost). Classical Voice North America wrote that “Weiser has a powerful, nicely colored bass-baritone voice capable of rendering the full range of emotions, and he is a riveting actor. His curse was the highlight of the evening.” He also made a role and house debut with Livermore Valley Opera as Dr. Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, and covered Farfallo in Die schweigsame Frau with Bard SummerScape.

 

Mr. Weiser returned to Washington National Opera to sing Benoit/Alcindoro in La bohème in 2023. A graduate of the Cafritz Young Artist program, he has sung several roles with Washington National Opera, notably in the “amusing” title role of the world premiere of Nicolas Benavides and Marella Martin Koch’s Pepito.  Regarding his performance, Opera News writes:  “Samuel Weiser had a field day as the nostalgic Pepito…With his warm, ample tone and droll phrasing, the bass gave the music extra character, all the while excelling at Pepito’s assorted antics…” Other roles include Sprecher and 2nd Armored Man in The Magic Flute, Marquis d’Obigny in La Traviata, Captain in Eugene Onegin, Jailer in Tosca, 2nd Philistine in Samson et Dalilah and Ox/Inkeeper/Shepherd in Jeanine Tesori and J.D. McClatchy’s The Lion, the Unicorn and Me, as well as Pistola in Act 1 of Falstaff and Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola as part of the company’s “Concert of Comic Masterpieces.” He also joined the National Symphony Orchestra as the bass soloist for Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 and Act 1 of Puccini’s La bohème.

 

Mr. Weiser was a young artist with the Chicago Opera Theater, where he performed as Bass #3 in Frank Martin’s Le vin herbé, covered Shakes the Poet in Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, and covered Abraham Lincoln/Undertaker in Phillip Glass’ The Perfect American. In 2018, he portrayed Solomon Weil and George Gissing in the world premiere of Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s Elizabeth Cree, which was co-produced by Opera Philadelphia and Chicago Opera Theater. During his two years as a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theater of Saint Louis, he was seen as Clumsy God in the world premiere of Jack Perla’s Shalimar the Clown, Sergeant in La bohème, Valet in Macbeth, Fred and Pump Guy #2 in Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath and and covered Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos, Banco in Macbeth, The Bonze in Madama Butterfly and Publio in La Clemenza di Tito. As an apprentice artist with Central City Opera, he sang Der Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte and Ferrando in Il Trovatore.

 

Mr. Weiser has received many accolades for his artistry in recent years. In 2018, he was named a winner of the St. Louis District of the Metropolitan National Council Auditions and was a 3rd place winner of the Midwest region. Most recently, he was named a 2022 Utah District winner in the Laffont Competition. Mr. Weiser graduated cum laude B.S.Ed in Music Education from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and holds his M.M. in Vocal Performance from Roosevelt University and Artist Diploma from Chicago Opera Theater.