Dr. Samuelson holds a Bachelor of Arts from Denison University and Schiller College in Berlin, Germany, a Master of Music from New England Conservatory in Vocal Performance and a Doctor of Education from Columbia University in Vocal Pedagogy with a minor in Speech Pathology. For five years, she taught Singing for Actors at the Lee Strasberg Theatrical Institute for Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Other college teaching includes Singing for Actors at Marymount Manhattan Theatre Dept, Jacksonville University (Florida) where she was Director of Opera and Musical Theatre, William Paterson University (New Jersey): voice instructor for classical singers, and Franklin and Marshall College (Pennsylvania): Head of Voice and Director of Opera Workshop. Additionally, she has taught Cabaret Workshops in NYC with performances at Don't Tell Mama, a club in the Times Square area.
Her performances
have included being an oratorio soloist with the Boston Symphony under
Seiji Ozawa and in Italy with conductor/composer Hans Werner Henze.
The New York Choral Society, Bach Festival at Painted Bride Arts Center
in Philadelphia, as well as many other events. Opera has included a
tour of The Marriage of Figaro with the National Opera Co, several shows at The Banff Festival, including Sganarelle, The Stronger and Suor Angelica, the premiere of Benjamin
by John Carbon in Lancaster, PA and many others. Highly sought-after
as a performer of contemporary music, Dr. Samuelson has been hailed for
her performances of Pierrot Lunaire and premiered Ned Rorem's oratorio, Homer. She was the director/singer of American Voices, a chamber music group in NYC dedicated to performing works by American composers, past and present. Her lecture/recital, UnSung Voices: Women Who Composed Music has received much acclaim.
She has judged vocal competitions, such as NYSTA Bel Canto Competition, Florida State Music Teachers Competition, BRASS Ring Competition for Jacksonville Orchestra, NATS Regional Competitions, Rooster Country Singing Competition, Kids Got Talent in Orlando, and others.
She has given numerous workshops and master classes including for the Florida Theatre Conference, Instituto Europeo in Florence, Italy, The Symposium for Care of the Professional Voice in Philadelphia, Florida Music Teachers Association Conference, West Chester University in Pennsylvania, Denison University in Ohio, Art's Sake Studio in Orlando, and more.
As a stage director, she has directed the musicals Songs for a New World and Crazy for You in Florida, cabaret shows at Don't Tell Mama in Times Square, the operatic cabaret shows Cabaret Italian Style and Cabaret Parisien for First Coast Opera in St. Augustine, FL, annual shows at the Lee Strasberg Institute with her students, as well as operas such as P.D.Q. Bach's The Stoned Guest, Barber's A Hand of Bridge, Vaughn Williams' Riders to the Sea and scenes from numerous operas and musicals.
As a music director, she has prepared several shows, including Little Shop of Horrors, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Master Class, Three Penny Opera, City of Angels and Crazy for You. She always coaches the singing when she stage directs. The number of scenes from operas and musicals she has whipped into shape are difficult to count!
