Samuel Mariño (soprano), Covent Garden Sinfonia, Ben Palmer, Jonathan Ware

One of only a handful of male sopranos in the world today, Mariño is known for his natural high voice and gender-defying performances. As a teenager, he was bullied for his high speaking voice and briefly considered medical intervention before being encouraged to pursue singing instead. That same voice has since taken him around the world, with a sparkling opera career underway and his second album on a major label.

The album features works by Handel, Caccini, Dvořák, Liszt, Strauss, Rachmaninov, and Piaf, as well as Mariño’s own arrangements of “The Last Rose of Summer” and “Baïlèro” from Joseph Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne. Many of the arias were originally written for female voices and are heard here for the first time performed by a male soprano.

The album reflects a new chapter in Mariño’s journey as a singer, one that moves toward a more lyrical and intimate sound. “I have been growing as a singer. When I was younger it was more fun to sing the virtuosic repertoire, but today I’m 31 and I want to lead my instrument into something more lyrical, more ethereal,” says Samuel.

Recorded with conductor Ben Palmer,the Covent Garden Sinfonia and pianist Jonathan Ware, the album explores both sweeping orchestral textures and quiet piano-led moments.