Lancashire born Mezzo-Soprano Samantha Oxborough is a recent Royal Birmingham Conservatoire graduate with a Post graduate certificate and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Studies with a First class Honours under Christine Cairns and David Wilkinson. 
She has just finished as a Young Artist at the National Opera Studio, London. 

 

In July of 2022 she proudly sung the National Anthem at the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The last time it was sung as a solo for the late queen. 
 

Samantha has been involved in the Conservatoire's operas since her arrival in Birmingham. 

 She proudly sang in the chorus of The Dialogues Des Carmelites directed by Michael Barry and her full main roles include Métella – La Vie Parisienne – Offenbach,  Cherubino - The Marriage of Figaro, Maurya - Riders to the Sea, and Patricia in Michael Wolters world premier of Ava's Wedding. 

 She has also taken part in the Conservatoire's Opera Scenes as Carmen, Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier), Quickly (Falstaff), Lucretia (Rape of Lucretia) and Suzuki (Madame Butterfly). 

 

Samantha was awarded The Snt. Clare Barfield Memorial Bowl for Operatic Distinction received from Julian Lloyd Webber in June 2016 and has just been awarded first place in the Cecil Drew Oratorio prize, Edward Brooks Lieder prize and the Conservatoire Singing Prize, joint first in the Ashleyan opera prize and second in the Doris Newton Music Club Prize.  

She was also a finalist in the Leamington prize and the Town Hall Symphony Hall prize. 

In 2015, chosen by Head of Department Julian Pike, Samantha represented the Conservatoire at the Kathleen Ferrier Bursary. Competing against students from all the major UK Conservatoire's, she was the only female finalist and attained third place. 

 

Over the next few months she has many bookings in care homes across the West Midlands and also will be the guest soloist in the UK proms in the park tour. 

She works as a chorus mentor with Birmingham Opera Company and helps to facilitate outreach workshops and performances with Welsh National Opera in special needs schools around the West Midlands. 

 

She is supported by Help Musicians UK (Sybil Tutton Opera Award), Orion247 and the Pendle Young Musicians Bursary.

 

"I heard Samantha a couple of years ago in Mozart's  Requiem and was impressed then. She has really matured as a performer since with a bigger sound and impressive rapport with the large audience."

                                                  Dave Warren Burnley Times Dec 2022