Overview
Dr. Samantha Balboa, soprano and educator, serves as Instructor of Voice at Wichita State University. She is an active performer across both classical and contemporary repertoire, with notable roles including The Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Desirée Armfeldt (A Little Night Music), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro), Erste and Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte), and Ottavia (L’incoronazione di Poppea). Her accolades include winning the University of North Texas Concerto Competition and the David Daniels Concerto Competition, as well as First Place in The American Prize for Musical Theatre Stage Direction (2025).
As a chamber musician, Dr. Balboa frequently collaborates with her husband, violist Ruben Balboa, in programs for voice, viola, and piano. Her chamber music engagements also include performances with the Austin Chamber Music Center (ACMC), Austin Camerata, LOLA (Local Opera Local Artists), and both the American and International Viola Festivals.
Prior to her appointment at WSU, Dr. Balboa served as Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (2021–2025) in Belton, Texas. Under her mentorship, students have successfully auditioned and been accepted to graduate programs at leading universities and have earned recognition in both national and regional competitions, including First Place in the Edward Baird Singer of the Year (Texoma Region NATS, 2024) and the Baritone Prize at the George Shirley Vocal Competition (2025). Dr. Balboa earned her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogy at the University of North Texas, Master of Music (MM) in Vocal Performance at Oakland University, and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Vocal Performance at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.