Native Cincinnatian Sam Smith received his graduate and undergraduate training from CCM. In recent years, Smith has performed several character roles for Cincinnati Opera including: Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro, the Sacristan and Sciarrone in Tosca, the gardener in La Traviata, Benoit in La Bohème, and the Sergeant of Police in Pirates of Penzance.

prior to being a regular since 2015 with Cincinnati Opera, Smith performed a plethora of roles for numerous opera companies. Highlights include:  the title role in Don Pasquale for Anchorage Opera, Emile de Becque in South Pacific for Sacramento Music Circus, Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, and Leporello in Don Giovanni for Metro Lyric Opera, and the Pope in the London premiere of Philip Glass’s Galileo Galelei .

Other notable performances and debuts include: bass soloist in Karl Jenkin’s The Bards of Wales at Carnegie Hall, bass soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass at Carnegie Hall, the jailer in Tosca at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Blitch in Floyd’s Susannahwith New York Opera Project, Scarpia in Toscawith Sorg Opera, the King in Aïda with Palm Beach Opera, and the Sergeant of Police in Pirates of Penzance with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Sam was awarded his third appearance at Carnegie Hall as a winner in the Center for Contemporary Opera International Vocal Competition in 2005.