Roy Samuelsen (born 1933) was a Mormon vocal performer and Norwegian immigrant.
Roy Samuelsen was born in Moss, Norway on June 12, 1933. He attended school there until 1950, when his family immigrated to the United States and settled in Provo, Utah. He attended Brigham Young University until he was drafted into the United States army in 1953, where he served for two years as a Military Policeman in Germany, when he also had the chance to study vocal performance under Joseph Heuler, a performer. He returned in 1955 and married Mary Lou Thorne. He then began working as a sheet metal worker while earning a Bachelor's Degree in music from BYU. In 1961, he was accepted and attended Indiana University's School of Music, where he earned a Masters degree in Music. In 1963, he was given a faculty position and became a full professor of music.
Samuelsen has performed in many venues, from the New York City Opera, Dallas Opera, and the Royal Norwegian Opera. He has sung approximately one hundred opera roles and has recorded several albums. He retired from Indiana University in 1997, after which he and his wife served a mission in Alta, Norway. They have three sons and thirteen grandchildren. They currently live in Bloomington, Indiana.
From the guide to the Roy Samuelsen papers, 1960-2013, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)
