Canadian Bass Mark Sampson’s recent highlights include singing and lead antagonist in the world premiere of 80 Tagen um die Welt in Landestheater Linz - a musical & opera based on Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in 80 Days - which won best musical, best director, best choreographer, best set design, best costumes and make-up and best supporting actor at the DMA awards. Mark made his operatic debut as Colline in La Bohème, followed by Don Basilio with VIO and Leporello & Masetto in Alcina with Opera Lyra Ottawa’s opera studio. His education includes the University of British Columbia in Canada, Indiana University in Bloomington in the USA, Accademia di Belle Arti di L’Aquila in Italy, Hochschule fuer Musik und Theater Leipzig in Germany, Hochschule fuer Musik und Theater Rostock in Germany.
Sampson made his european debut as Filippo II in Verdi’s Don Carlo in the Festival de Titulcia in Madrid, Spain. This led to a fest engagement with Theater Osnabrueck and engagement in various german houses. There he reprised such roles as his critically acclaimed Don Basilio and Leporello. His subsequest fest engagement came through Volkstheater Rostock, where he was offered Sarastro in Die Zauberfloete, Zaccaria in Nabucco, Frank in Fledermaus, the title role of Alcina, both Guglielmo and Don Alfonso in Cosi Fan Tutte, Bonze in Madama Butterfly, while being offered Captain Hook with Oper Halle. Subsequent seasons saw him enjoy success in both musical theater and opera, starring as Caiaphas in Vereinigte Buehnen Wien’s productions of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Raimund and Ronacher Theaters in Vienna with special guests Sir Tim Rice and Stephen Schwartz.
Mark is the general director and founder of Berlin Opera Academy, Vancouver Summer Opera Workshops, and was the co-founder of Lyric Opera Studio Weimar. Mark Sampson enjoys a successful career as both an active bass in the international opera scene and in directing singing academies.
Outside of singing Mr. Sampson holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics, graduated with a bilingual French-English IB Diploma, is fluent in English, French, German and Italian, and placed 1st, winning the OAPT national physics competition, as well as achieving top 5 rankings in various international competitions of physics and mathematics. He also has an interest in mountain climbing, having made an attempt on Mt. Everest.