David S. Sampson
Encyclopedia
David Sampson is a prolific composer
and trumpet
player currently living in New Jersey
. He is currently Composer-in-Residence with the Colonial Symphony Orchestra (1998–2007) and plays with them as well.
David Sampson received a 2006 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. He has also received major grants from the NEA
, American Academy of Arts and Letters, Barlow Endowment
, Jerome Foundation, Cary Trust, and the Dodge Foundation, among others. He holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music
, Hunter College
, Manhattan School of Music
, and the Écoles d'Art Américaines, where his teachers included Karel Husa
, Henri Dutilleux
and John Corigliano
in composition; and Gerard Schwarz
, Gilbert Johnson
, Robert Nagel, and Raymond Mase in instrumental lessons for trumpet. His music is published by Editions BIM, Cantate Press and David Sampson Music. He has served on the Board of the Composers Guild of New Jersey and the Advisory Board of the Bergen Foundation.[1]
He also teaches trumpet and conducts
an orchestra
in the Randolph, New Jersey
school district. He is fondly known to his students as “Doc”, and they inspired his Wind Ensemble piece, Moving Parts. Every year, near the beginning of the school year, Sampson composes the audition piece that the Randolph trumpet players practice to determine their seating.
His older brother, Bill Sampson, was one of the many killed in the Greensboro massacre
in 1979. The grief he felt following the event affected much of his work, particularly In Memoriam: W.E.S., which is “an actual description of the events (Sampson) saw on TV.”
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
player currently living in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He is currently Composer-in-Residence with the Colonial Symphony Orchestra (1998–2007) and plays with them as well.
David Sampson received a 2006 Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. He has also received major grants from the NEA
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, American Academy of Arts and Letters, Barlow Endowment
Barlow Endowment
The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition is a scholarship established in September 1983 through the generosity of Milton A. and Gloria Barlow. Motivated by their love of music, the Barlows presented a substantial gift to Brigham Young University, engendering and supporting excellence in musical...
, Jerome Foundation, Cary Trust, and the Dodge Foundation, among others. He holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
, Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
, Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
, and the Écoles d'Art Américaines, where his teachers included Karel Husa
Karel Husa
Karel Husa is a Czech-born classical composer and conductor, winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize and 1993 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Music Composition...
, Henri Dutilleux
Henri Dutilleux
Henri Dutilleux is one of the most important French composers of the second half of the 20th century, producing work in the tradition of Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, and Albert Roussel, but in a style distinctly his own...
and John Corigliano
John Corigliano
John Corigliano is an American composer of classical music and a teacher of music. He is a distinguished professor of music at Lehman College in the City University of New York.-Biography:...
in composition; and Gerard Schwarz
Gerard Schwarz
Gerard Schwarz is an American conductor. He was music director of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra from 1985 to 2011.In 2007 Schwarz was named music director of the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina, having served as principal conductor since 2005...
, Gilbert Johnson
Gilbert Johnson
Sergeant Major Gilbert "Hashmark" Johnson was one of the first African Americans to enlist in the United States Marine Corps, and one of the first African American drill instructors in the U.S. Marine Corps. Johnson was known as “Hashmark” because he had more service stripes than rank stripes. He...
, Robert Nagel, and Raymond Mase in instrumental lessons for trumpet. His music is published by Editions BIM, Cantate Press and David Sampson Music. He has served on the Board of the Composers Guild of New Jersey and the Advisory Board of the Bergen Foundation.[1]
He also teaches trumpet and conducts
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
an orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
in the Randolph, New Jersey
Randolph, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,847 people, 8,679 households, and 6,804 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,185.2 people per square mile . There were 8,903 housing units at an average density of 424.7 per square mile...
school district. He is fondly known to his students as “Doc”, and they inspired his Wind Ensemble piece, Moving Parts. Every year, near the beginning of the school year, Sampson composes the audition piece that the Randolph trumpet players practice to determine their seating.
His older brother, Bill Sampson, was one of the many killed in the Greensboro massacre
Greensboro massacre
The Greensboro massacre occurred on November 3, 1979 in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Five protest marchers were shot and killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazi Party...
in 1979. The grief he felt following the event affected much of his work, particularly In Memoriam: W.E.S., which is “an actual description of the events (Sampson) saw on TV.”
Works
- The Skein for Soprano and Piano, 1973
- Fanfare for Canterbury Cathedral for Double Brass Quintet, 1978
- The Mysteries Remain for Trumpet and Piano, 1979
- O Blessed Face for Flute, Harp, Organ and Chorus, 1978
- Permit Me Voyage for Viola and Piano, 1978
- Passage for Viola and Flugelhorn, 1979
- Flashback for Percussion Quartet, 1980
- Litany of Breath for Solo Trumpet:, 1980
- The Endless Instant for Clarinet and Percussion, 1980
- Cuttings for Piano, 1980
- The Notes Fit To Print for Orchestra, 1980
- Trumpet Descants on Festive Hymns, 1981
- In Memoriam: W.E.S. for Woodwind Quintet, 1981
- Peace for a cappella Chorus,1981
- Flight for Three Trumpets, 1982
- The Birthday for Soprano, Oboe, Violincello and Harp, 1982
- Winter Ceremony for Two Trumpets and Percussion, 1983
- Trumpet Descants on Christmas Hymns, 1983
- Nine Times Mime for Oboe, Harp and Percussion, 1983
- The War Prayer (1984-5) One-Act Opera for Six Soloists, SATB Chorus and Chamber Orchestra, 1984-5
- Behold How Good and Lovely It Is for Chorus and Organ, 1984
- Four Scenes and an Epilogue for Soprano, String Quartet and Harp, 1984
- Echoes and Other Ghosts for Brass Quintet, 1986
- Morning Music for Brass Quintet, 1986
- Three Christmas Scenes for Flute/Picc., Oboe/English Horn, Violoncello, Piano and Chorus, 1987
- Points for Brass Octet and Percussion, 1983 rev 1987
- In Time for Bass Trombone, Piano and Percussion, 1988
- The Song My Paddle Sings for Chorus a cappella, 1987
- The Figured Wheel for Soprano, Oboe/English Horn, Bassoon and Piano, 1988
- Reflections on a Dance for Fourteen Brass and Two Percussion, 1988
- Our Father’s Road: A Cantata for New Sweden for Narrator, Soprano, Oboe/English Horn, Violoncello, Piano and Percussion, *1989
- Three Portraits for Tuba Solo and Chamber Orchestra, 1990
- Distant Voices for Brass Quintet, 1990
- Simple Lives for Orchestra, 1990
- Triptych for Trumpet Solo and Orchestra, 1991
- Solo for Flugelhorn unaccompanied, 1991
- Four Winds for Wind Quartet, 1991
- Sonata Forty for Horn and Piano, 1991
- Without Warning for Piano, 1992
- Shout for Joy! for Brass Quartet, Organ and Choir, 1992
- Three Arguments for unaccompanied Violoncello, 1993
- Westfield Fanfare for Thirteen Brass and Three Percussion, 1993
- Short Stories for Wind Quintet, 1994
- Emma’s Dance for Tuba and Piano, 1994
- Praise! for Choir and Organ, 1994
- Turns for Violoncello and Orchestra, 1994
- Evensong for Tuba and Computer, 1995
- Hommage JFK for Fourteen Brass and Three Percussion, 1995
- Monument for Orchestra, 1996-97
- Voices of Our Youth for Flute, Viola, Violoncello, Harp and Chorus, 1997
- Serenade for Flugelhorn and String Orchestra, 1998
- Dectet for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon, Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, Violoncello, and Double Bass, 1998
- Strata for Brass Quintet:, 1999
- Notes from Faraway Places: Three Suites of Concert Etudes for one or two Trumpets, 2000
- Concerto for Dancers and String Orchestra, 2000
- The Elements for String Quartet, 2001
- Jersey Rain for Baritone Solo, Chorus and Orchestra, 2001
- Duncan Trio for Brass Trio, 2002
- Breathing Lessons for Saxophone Quartet, 2002
- Concerto for Oboe and String Orchestra, 2003
- Moving Parts for Wind Ensemble, 2003
- New Providence Overture for Orchestra, 2003
- Entrance/Exit for Brass Quintet, 2003
- Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and String Orchestra, 2004
- Breakaway for Two Trumpets and Electronics, 2004
- Serenata for Tuba and Wind Ensemble, 2005
- Breathing Lessons for String Quartet, 2006
- Serenade for Trumpet and Wind Ensemble, 2006
- Outburst for Wind Ensemble, 2006
- Sketches for Violin and Marimba, 2007
- Morning Pages for Trumpet unaccompanied, 2005-07
- A Vanished World for Flute unaccompanied, 2007, 2007
- Millbrook Suite for Wind Ensemble, 2008