Biography

Venezuelan male soprano Samuel Mariño has emerged as one of the most original and compelling voices on today’s international operatic stage. Renowned for the extraordinary brilliance, agility and purity of his soprano voice, he has redefined the possibilities of the male soprano repertoire while bringing fresh vitality to Baroque and Classical opera.

Born in Caracas in 1993, Mariño began his musical education at the National Conservatory of Venezuela, where he studied piano and voice alongside ballet at the National School of Dance. His first operatic experiences with the Camerata Barroca de Caracas introduced him to the Baroque repertoire and led to collaborations with conductors including Gustavo Dudamel, Helmuth Rilling and Theodore Kuchar. He later continued his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris and has been mentored by the distinguished soprano Barbara Bonney.

Despite his youth, Mariño has already appeared in many of the leading roles of the Baroque and Classical repertoire, performing works by Monteverdi, Handel, Vivaldi, Porpora, Hasse, Mozart, Gluck, Rossini and Bellini. His appearances at major European opera houses and festivals have established him as one of the foremost interpreters of historically informed vocal performance.

Prizewinner at the Opéra de Marseille International Singing Competition and recipient of the Audience Prize at the prestigious Neue Stimmen Competition, Mariño gained further international recognition following his acclaimed debut at the Handel Festival Halle, where his performance in Berenice earned him a nomination as Best Young Artist by Opernwelt magazine.

Driven by a passion for rediscovering forgotten repertoire, he founded Ensemble Teseo in 2019, an ensemble dedicated to exploring neglected Baroque works and historically informed performance practices. Alongside his operatic career, he appears regularly in recital and concert, collaborating with many of today’s leading conductors, orchestras and early music ensembles.

At the XXI Cartagena International Music Festival, Samuel Mariño brings one of the most distinctive voices of his generation, combining extraordinary virtuosity with an artistic personality that is redefining the expressive possibilities of the classical vocal tradition.