Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Hankey.
Hi Samantha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I grew up in the small beach town of Marshfield, Massachusetts, and was passionate about music from an early age. My first on-stage experience was in a local production of Annie when I was six and I fell in love. Being the only musician in the family, my path was largely guided by my voice teachers and mentors who encouraged me to keep studying. A few years after Annie, I went on to sing with the Boston Children’s Chorus, later attended the Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and pursued pre-college vocal training at the Longy School of Music and the New England Conservatory before being accepted into The Juilliard School for my undergraduate and master’s degrees. After graduating, I went right into freelance work rather than an apprenticeship with an opera house and made my professional debut at Den Norske Opera in Oslo, Norway. I was also fortunate to win several international competitions, including the Glyndebourne Opera Cup and Placido Domingo’s Operalia. I always found competitions to be a really efficient way of performing for new audiences and auditioning at the same time!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Being on stage is incredible, but I really love the creative process of spending time in the rehearsal room with inspiring and lovely colleagues and creating something together. I’m happiest collaborating and being with other people and I’m thankful that my job is such a social one. The greatest obstacles in this career are the schedule, travel, and loneliness. In 2022 I was on the road more than I was at home, and finding a routine while always on the go can be overwhelming at times. Luckily, my partner has a remote job and we often adventure together to the many wonderful places my singing takes me!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
There’s a lot that I love about this job; collaboration, traveling and connecting with others through music. One of the really beautiful things about this career is there’s almost always an old colleague to reconnect with! The connections that happen in the rehearsal room develop quickly and are oftentimes really special; I feel like that’s something unique to this job. Making art requires a certain level of vulnerability and openness and I believe that’s what creates such lasting relationships.
Another interesting element about my work is how versatile it is. I’m often singing new roles or reimagining ones I’ve sung before in a new production. Oftentimes, due to my voice type, I get to embody a wide variety of characters and I sing a lot of “pants” or “trouser” roles in which I get to play a male character. Octavian, Cherubino, and Hänsel to name a few. Gender aside, I just really enjoy delving deep into a new character, incorporating method-acting techniques to go far beyond my personal attributes.
Overall, what I’m most proud of is that I’m doing what I love and have always dreamed of. I feel incredibly fortunate for that, and especially to be able to do it on such a high level–working with incredibly talented artists at some of the best companies and venues in the world. There are still many things on my professional wish list to achieve, but when I take a step back and look at what amazing things have already come, I feel very grateful and fulfilled.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The biggest changes we’re seeing in the industry have been accelerated out of necessity due to covid and that’s been making live performances more accessible via live streams and on-demand video. Finding a way to communicate an art form that is intended to be heard live in concert halls (with special acoustics) can be tricky and requires excellent recording equipment for the sound to translate well. The other big change we’re seeing is, of course, the power of social media… which I love! Audiences nowadays are closer to artists via the rise in behind-the-scenes and personal content available. Being able to take audiences along with us on our travels, through our day leading up to performances gives us a unique connection that prior generations of artists didn’t have. It’s so beautiful being able to connect with audience members in this way. One of my favorite things to do after a performance is brows through hashtags and seeing photos that people take at a performance venue and their evening celebrating art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SamanthaHankey.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Samantha.Hankey
Sam Hankey in Tribeca NYC
Sam Hankey in Tribeca NYC
Sam Hankey in Tribeca NYC
Sam Hankey in Tribeca NYC
Sam Hankey in Tribeca NYC
Sam Hankey in Tribeca NYC
Sam Hankey in Tribeca NYC
Image Credits
Daniel Welch
Tristam Kenton
James Glossop
Robbari Kipp
Marty Stohl
