In the 2016-17 season mezzo-soprano Megan Mikailovna Samarin returns to Houston Grand Opera for three productions, singing Siébel in Faust, Second Secretary in Nixon in China, and covering Wellgunde in Götterdämmerung.

In the 2015-16 season, Ms. Samarin sang Olga in Eugene Onegin, Lady Columbia in the world premier of O Columbia, Third Wood Nymph in Rusalka, and Lady Maresvale and Mistress Revels in the world premiere of Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players and covered Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Fox in The Little Prince, and Julie Jordan in Carousel. In the 2015 summer season, Ms. Samarin made her Glimmerglass Festival debut as Marzia in the American premier of Vivaldi’s Cato in Utica. During the 2014-15 season Ms. Samarin made her Houston Grand Opera debut as Second Lady in The Magic Flute and Johanna in Sweeney Todd, also covering Dorabella in Così fan tutte as well as Suzuki in Madame Butterfly. Ms. Samarin also performed Angelina in Houston Grand Opera’s 60th Anniversary Concert featuring Joyce DiDonato. The 2012-13 season included singing La Marchande in Les mamelles de Tirésias at Wolf Trap Opera.

Megan Samarin earned her bachelor’s degree at Manhattan School of Music, where she sang Farnace in La Doriclea, Anne in The Mother of Us All, and Vénus in Orphée aux enfers. As a member of the Seagle Music Colony Young Artist Program, she sang Madame Larina in Eugene Onegin, Cherubino in John Davies’s The Three Little Pigs, and Cis in Albert Herring. She was featured at the Brevard Music Center Janiec Opera Company as Soeur Mathilde in Dialogues of the Carmelites and Cousin Hebe in Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore. She is alumna of Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artists Vocal Academy. Other highlights include Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with the New York Lyric Opera Theater and Flower Girl in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera on the Avalon.

Ms. Samarin is a 2016 Sara Tucker Study Grant award winner. She was a finalist in HGO’s Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias as well as a District Encouragement Award winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She is a Shoshana Foundation Richard F. Gold Career Grant recipient for both 2014 and 2016. Megan Mikailovna Samarin is currently a member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio.