Celebrating Cabaret

SINGER SAMANTHA TALORA MAKES MAGIC HAPPEN IN THE BERKSHIRES

By Laura Mars Photos By Gregory Cherin

When vocalist Samantha Talora returned to the Berkshires 12 years ago, singing was not on her mind. She was ready to return to the hospitality career she cultivated at Canyon Ranch Lenox after stepping away for two years to be with her brother who was dealing with a serious illness. But life had other plans, and today Talora is not only programming specialist at Canyon Ranch, but also singing her way through the Berkshires, deeply touching audiences as only her brilliant voice and cabaret style can. 

At Canyon Ranch, Samantha Talora and David Friedman. 

The operatic soprano has performed at Canyon Ranch, Studio 9 at The Porches in North Adams, and in the Berkshire Music Salon Series at Lenox Library. She was featured at the Savannah Voice Festival this summer and chosen by film and theater composer and songwriter David Friedman to interpret his songbook. 

What caused her to dial up her singing career, while working full time? Serendipity. At a chance meeting in 2013 with performer, vocal coach, and music director Ron Ramsey, they discovered that they both just came back to the Berkshires, ready to start a new life chapter. Realizing the strength of their musical connection, the Talora and Ramsey duo was born. The healing power of music was evident at their first performance in April 2014 at Canyon Ranch, not only for guests, but also for Talora. 

“You can’t ignore those things,” says Talora, who grew up in Cheshire and now lives in Windsor. “What is meant for you will find you.” Connecting with Ramsey, coupled with the untimely death of her brother, made her realize that life is too short to ignore what makes you feel fully alive. 

Talora and Ramsey have been singing together ever since. One of their regular gigs is at Canyon Ranch several times a month. “The great thing about working with Ron for so long is that we have a large catalog of music,” says Talora. “We have an intended set and then realize that's not who's here tonight. Guests come to Canyon Ranch for a variety of reasons from processing trauma to a weekend with girlfriends. If guests are celebrating, we'll go into classic Broadway, or James Taylor, or The Beatles. 

“We love connecting with audiences, reading the room and giving them what they need in the moment. There’s nothing I love more than being in a beautiful, intimate space with a small crowd, creating an experience. I’m singing, but there is unspoken communication, an energetic exchange that is vulnerable and sacred to me.” 

To say that she and Ramsey have something special is an understatement. “She’s amazing,” he says. “From singing Mozart one week to Billy Joel the next, every performance resonates long after the final note, igniting a spark that motivates you to embrace your own journey. Our voices harmonically blend in a way that creates magic because we know where each other’s breath is coming with our eyes closed.” 

Talora and Ramsey at Belvedere Lenox.

Talora is also a permanent cast member of the Berkshire Music Salon Series that Ramsey launched this past spring, blending the intimacy of live music with the art of storytelling. Each performance becomes its own play, following the history of the cultural landmark or Gilded Age mansion that it’s performed in. The series also recalls a time in the Berkshires when wealthy homeowners invited popular artists of the day into their homes to entertain. 

The newest music salon is being designed for The Mount, celebrating Edith Wharton’s remarkable dedication to the Allied cause during World War I. On Veteran’s Day, Ramsey honors Wharton’s legacy as a war correspondent for publications such as Scribner’s Magazine and The New York Times. The November 11 show will include storytelling and intimate discussions using Wharton’s letters, articles, poems, stories, and music from the World War I era. 

These intimate venues are perfect for Talora, who notes the importance of connecting music to history. Possible locations for future salons include Naumkeag, Norman Rockwell Museum, the Clark, and MASS MoCA. 

Talora continues to work at Canyon Ranch, focusing less on hospitality and more on music. “They practice what they preach,” she says about Canyon Ranch allowing her the flexibility to focus on her music. “They meet people—both guests and employees—where they are, and are supportive of what it takes to live your fullest life. I’m very grateful.” I’m sure the feeling is mutual, as Talora uses her talent and skill to broaden Canyon Ranch’s creative arm of wellness, healing through art and creative expression. 

Pivotal to that is “Broadway in the Berkshires,” a program she developed in 2017 at Canyon Ranch. Pulling from her event planning days and the New York artists in her circle, she arranges for performers to come to Lenox, including Alysha Umphress, Julia Murney, Karen Mason, Liz Callaway, David Friedman, Desi Oakley, Victoria Clark, Nathan Lee Graham, Betsy Wolfe, and Alice Tan Ridley. It’s been healing for the guests and the artists, especially during the pandemic, when Broadway in New York was shut down. 

Talora and Ron Ramsey with Desi Oakley and Andy Huntington-Jones. 

When asked about the future, Talora says that she and Ramsey are figuring out where to land in the Berkshires—someplace with a bar and small plates that can offer an intimate experience. “I love going to a restaurant, having live music playing while I'm having a meal,” she says. “That's fantastic.” 

Checking all the boxes is Belvedere Lenox, an event space that combines elegance upstairs with loungey bar downstairs, and where the duo looks forward to playing this fall. Talora says the space is perfect for their cabaret /New York nightclub style that is everywhere in New York these days. 

And she should know. Although Talora makes her home in the Berkshires, she performs regularly in New York City, where she and Ramsey will play at Don’t Tell Mama piano bar on Friday, October 17. Don’t Tell Mama is also where she will perform a second encore of “Trust the Wind: Samantha Talora sings David Friedman” on Saturday, December 6, with the composer/pianist himself. 

If you can catch Talora in New York, do it. If you’re around for the Berkshire Music Salon Series at The Mount on Tuesday, November 11, save the date. And be sure to check Belvedere Lenox’s website for updates on when they will be performing there. “With a voice as smooth as chiffon silk, Samantha enchants her audience,” says Ramsey. “She will get you right where it counts...in the heart.”

samanthatalora.com; belvederelenox.com; 

canyonranch.com/lenox 

Dan McCarthy contributed to this article.