One of the rarest voices in the world of opera is now in Australia and its owner, Venezuelan-born Samuel Mariño, is set to charm audiences with his crystal pure natural soprano – and his four suitcases of frothy tulle, slinky sequins and towering heels.
As a male soprano, aka a sopranist, Mariño does not sing falsetto, a technique employed by countertenors to sing the roles originally written for castrati in the baroque and classical repertoire.
