Sam started singing at the age of eight when he joined the Christchurch Boys Choir. After five years with the choir, he started taking singing lessons with Peter Hind and has been with him since. He has taken part in local singing concerts, played the lead roles in two school musicals, competed in various singing competitions and attended the NZ National Singing School in 2007.
He performed the role of the Prince in Canterbury Opera Youth’s production of Rusalka and appeared in the chorus of Lucia di Lammermoor in 2006 for Canterbury Opera. Sam was a chorus member in Southern Opera’s productions of Carmen and Il trovatore and performed his first role for the company in the 2009 production of Gianni Schicchi, appearing as Amantio di Nicolao.