An elderly man in a tuxedo with white hair and glasses conducts an orchestra, giving a cue to a young male musician in a black suit, holding a baton, in a concert hall.

Performance

Sam Denler is a tenor based in New Haven, Connecticut, who performs as a soloist and choral singer around the world. He sings in the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, is the tenor soloist for Amor Artis, will soon perform for the fourth time with elite early music ensemble Res Facta, and filmed a scene with Bradley Cooper for Netflix’s Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro. Mr. Denler has been featured in numerous music festivals, most recently with the Bachakademie in Stuttgart, Germany, and in his sixth fellowship with the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. He is also a skilled professional audio/video engineer for many ensembles across the US.

Mr. Denler has just graduated with his Master's in Voice: Early Music, Oratorio + Chamber Ensemble in the prestigious Voxtet ensemble from Yale University in May. The 8 students in the program are featured soloists throughout the year. Sam’s performances this year included the title role in Handel’s Jephtha, for which Parterre Box said "His bright tenor dealt handily with the difficult coloratura, spinning out a lovely, comforting 'Waft her angels.'” He also completed a tour of Italy this summer with Haydn’s Creation, directed by Grete Pedersen, for which a review said that “Sam Denler, as Uriel, narrated the emergence of the world with lightness, like Christian Gerhaher. Not human inflection, but a messenger of God.” The tour culminated in Rome with a concert of Italian madrigals with Simon Carrington. He earned his Bachelor’s in Music Education at Westminster Choir College in 2019, where he sang with the Westminster Choir, early music ensemble Kantorei and the Westminster Symphonic Choir.

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Solo Experience

“Sam Denler […] an exceptional Jephtha, initially firm in his conviction of being right, then shattered by fate’s intervention. His bright tenor dealt handily with the difficult coloratura, spinning out a lovely, comforting “Waft her angels.”

- Parterre Box

  • A man with glasses, wearing a suit and a checkered tie, appears to be speaking or singing in a wooden-paneled room with ornate decor and a bouquet of pink flowers.

    I have just completed my graduate studies at Yale University in the prestigious Voxtet program, studying early music voice. There, I assumed the role of designated soloist for Schola Cantorum, an ensemble with a specialty in early music. Performances included Bach works with Masaaki Suzuki in Alice Tully Hall, collaboration with Juilliard 415, Handel’s Oratorio Jephtha, in which I sang the title role, Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and a tour of Italy with Grete Pedersen and Haydn’s Creation, among much, much more.

  • A man in a black suit speaking in front of an audience during a musical performance, with a woman playing the violin.

    I recently traveled to Madison, Wisconsin as a finalist for the Handel Aria Competition, and will return again this August.

  • A large group of people dressed in formal black attire, gathered inside a church or similar setting with wooden pews, looking up at the camera for a group photo.

    In NY, I am a designated soloist for Amor Artis, an elite chamber ensemble, where I can be heard in 3-5 performances throughout the year. I have performed solos in spaces such as Fifth Avenue Presbyterian church and Carnegie Hall with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

  • Chorus group performing in a concert hall with wooden interior and stage, facing the audience. Multiple singers in black and white formal attire stand in rows on the stage, with some holding music folders.

    Countless stand-out solos in choral performances of repertoire spanning all of western music history. Examples include Bach Mass in A Maj with Jos Van Veldhoven in Stuttgart, Germany, oratorio roles across the East Coast, stand-out solos with Voces8 US Scholars, and much more.

If you are looking for a tenor soloist for an upcoming project, or want to hear more, please feel free to reach out and browse my YouTube Channel

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Choral Experience

Convoco

Convoco is an ensemble specializing in early and modern music, with an emphasis on living, collaborating composers, entering its fourth season. I am a founding member, artistic consultant, associate chair of programming, and audio/video engineer. Convoco’s mission is to explore repertoire as a democratic collective promoting individual artistry through choral innovation. We use creative programming and artistic partnership to cultivate our collaborative process.

CONVOCO Website
CONVOCO Youtube

Yale Voxtet & Schola Cantorum

The Voxtet program accepts one student per voice part, per year, for a total of 8 singers, as candidates for a degree in Voice: Early Music, Oratorio, and Chamber Ensemble. They serve as the designated soloists for concerts with the Yale Schola Cantorum, performing with top conductors and scholars, in premiere spaces such as Alice Tully Hall, NY, and Woolsey Hall, New Haven. Here you can find a recording made and produced by myself and another member of the Voxtet, featuring a piece from our Christmas recording session. In this program, I was a featured soloist in multiple large scale works, including Handel’s Jephtha, Monteverdi Vespers, Haydn’s Creation, and more.

Yale Voxtet

Voces8 Scholars US

Legendary octet Voces8 hosts a small ensemble of singers each year to perform, record, and study in collaboration. In the 2023-24 season, I participated in a recording session in Houston, Texas with Voces8, in which we recorded a piece written by Blake Morgan, Polaris. The scholars also recorded in St. Paul, Minnesota at MPR studios, singing with Voces8, as well as multiple other recordings featuring just the Scholars or other collaborating musicians and composers such as Jake Runestad and Paul Smith. I also took an A/V course taught by Voces8 CEO, founder, and A/V engineer Barney Smith.

Voces8

Res Facta

Res Facta is an elite choral ensemble specializing in Renaissance Polyphony and performs annually in downtown Manhattan. My first performance with the group was “Byrd@400”, a collaboration with Gotham Early Music Scene celebrating the 400th anniversary of the death of William Byrd. Similarly, last year’s focus was on Thomas Tallis. This year’s “Palestrina@500, the composer and his influence” featured works by Palestrina, along with C.H.H. Parry, Rheinberger, Bruckner, Bach, and more.

Res Facta Website

Spoleto Festival USA

Inside a church or chapel, a choir is performing in front of seated congregation, illuminated by candlelight, with stained glass windows and religious decor on the walls.
Gold letter sign reading 'SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA' on a black metal fence, surrounded by green trees and a brick building in the background.

The Spoleto festival, held annually in Charleston, SC features a dramatically wide range of music. The Spoleto Festival USA Chorus serves as the choir for multiple operas, a large symphonic performance, and puts on its own set of concerts. I have worked as a vocal fellow for 6 summers, spending a month in Charleston working on demanding and challenging repertoire. My most recent festival featured a new, choral heavy opera called Ruinous Gods, a performance of Haydn’s Creation, and a 12 voice chamber ensemble performance of music of Schütz, Pärt, and Josquin.

Spoleto Festival USA

Much, much more

  • Many years of experience singing for churches throughout the country, spanning across styles, denominations, and traditions

  • Symphonic performances in New York, Philadelphia, and more, featuring master works spanning all eras music

  • Performances with chamber ensembles of all sizes, from 4 to 40 voices

  • And more - check out my Full CV below for more detailed information:

Full CV Resume
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Group of people singing in a church, standing at music stands with hymnals, engaged in worship or choir activity.
Group of people standing outside a church, posing for a photo, dressed in formal attire.
Inside a church with stained glass windows, a gathering of people seated in pews, a choir or group of singers standing near the altar, illuminated by candlelight, with a balcony visible above.
Four men in black suits performing in a choral concert indoors, standing behind black music stands, with a window and framed paper on a white wall in the background.
Orchestra in a concert hall taking a bow after performance with an audience clapping.
Group of nine young adults dressed in black, standing and sitting on a staircase, smiling for a formal portrait indoors.
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A choir of singers standing on a church stage with a red cross on the wall behind them.
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Large choir and orchestra performing on stage in a concert hall, with conductor leading. Audience seated in front.
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A group of twelve people dressed in black, posing outdoors against a large stone wall on grass.
A choir singing under the direction of a conductor on a concert stage.
A group of choir singers dressed in black, posing on a stage in a concert hall. They are arranged in three rows with some seated in front, some standing in the middle, and others standing on the risers at the back. The hall has a wooden floor and dec
An orchestra performing in a grand cathedral with tall arches and stained glass windows, illuminated by colorful lights.
A group of adults, dressed in black, standing on steps in front of a building with brick walls and white columns, posing for a group photo.
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