Samantha McGonigal is a Lyric Soprano based in the Chicago area. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Otterbein University, where she was a student of Dr. Karen Eckenroth. Currently, she is a student at DePaul School of Music studying under Dr. Linda DiFIore for her Masters of Music. She is trained in both classical and commercial voice, and has a particular interest in opera. Her operatic roles include Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, and Bastienne in Bastien und Bastienne. She has also performed in contemporary settings, singing back up vocals for Josh Groban at Nationwide Arena and singing with Otterbein's pop a capella group, Opus One.
Samantha is known as a strong leader among her peers; Throughout her time at Otterbein, she has held several leadership positions, serving as president of the Otterbein Concert Choir from 2019 to 2020, as well as the soprano section leader from 2018 to 2020. She is an active member of the Westerville and greater Columbus community, collaborating on performances with musicians around the area. She has enjoyed collaborating with Opera Columbus as a part of the chorus, as well as performing as a soloist with the Westerville symphony. Samantha also served as a choral scholar at St. Alban's Episcopal Church for four years.