Samantha Gillogly profile picture

Samantha Gillogly

Violinist/violist/composer Samantha Gillogly

About Me

Born in Los Angeles, violinist/violist/composer Samantha Gillogly began her musical training at age six on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Fluent in an extensive list of standard classical repertoire, from Adams to Zelenka, she is also an avid fan and performer of traditional and crossover music employing such styles as Celtic, Bluegrass, Gypsy and Scandinavian fiddle, as well as jazz and improvisation. As a soloist she has appeared on NBC-TV's Chronicle news magazine; performed for President William and Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton; and concertized in numerous recitals, competitions and private functions locally and nationally. Since March of 2007, she has performed in chamber works throughout Massachusetts with the Chamber Music Foundtion of New England. Samantha is also the current principal violist of the Civic Symphony Orchestra of Boston.

Previously, she held a chair in the New England Conservatory's premiere youth orchestra, the Youth Philharmonic in Boston (under the direction of Maestro Benjamin Zander), as well as their highly select chamber orchestra. She performed as a member of the chamber orchestra at Carnegie Hall on the televised version of National Public Radio's "From the Top".

A recipient of scholarships from the Martha's Vineyard Chamber Music Society, she was also designated by the Cape Symphony's concertmaster Penelope Wayne-Shapiro and Maestro Royston Nash as one of the South Shore's five violin "Rising Young Stars." She has won contests for fiddle-style playing and has performed as a two-time classical finalist in the Bacardi-Fallon Scholarship Competition.

Over the past 13 years her ensemble performances have included the New England Conservatory's Youth Symphony, under the direction of Aaron Kula in Boston and on tour in Spain, and later as principal second violin with director Steven Karidoyanes, NEC's Senior Baroque Chamber Orchestra as concertmaster and soloist (directed by Aldo Abreu), 1st violin in the Pioneer Valley Symphony (Paul Phillips, conductor), the Valley Light Opera Company (1st violin), the Boston Children's Chorus (2nd violin), the Auburn Choir (Concertmaster) Monson Choir (Soloist) , the Cape and Islands Youth Symphony (1st violin), the Martha's Vineyard Sinfonietta (2nd violin) and most notably as assistant principal 2nd in the Martha's Vineyard Festival Orchestra with members of the Boston Symphony, Pops, and Ballet, directed by Chris Allen.

Taught in a variety of classical disciplines, her teachers have included Diane Kraichnan, Rebecca Barca-Tinus, and Russian National prizewinner Lilia Muchnik of the New England Conservatory. Jazz violin virtuoso David Eure (also on NEC's faculty) has had the most significant impact on her commitment and passion for alternative styles of music. Since 2004, she has been a private classical student of Concertmaster Malcolm Lowe of the Boston Symphony. She has been awarded the merit "North American World Scholarship" from Berklee College of Music, where she is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Performance studies.
When not practicing, performing, or composing, Samantha's off hours are spent writing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and experimenting in painting, drawing and calligraphy. She is a published writer in multiple formats and contributes regularly to The Green Man Review, an online arts and culture magazine. Her favorite culinary pursuit is brewing her infamous triple-espresso coffee, known to those who've dared taste it as "Viola Varnish".


My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 5/4/2007
Band Members: Samantha Gillogly- Violinist/Violist/Composer

"I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO PEOPLE SOMETHING LIKE HAPPINESS..." -John Coltrane

In addition to being a professional performer, I volunteer with the following non-profit organizations:

*The Chamber Music Foundation of New England*
http://www.CMFoNE.org
Chamber Music Foundation of New England (CMFoNE) provides musical education through lectures, concerts, festivals and competitions and offers an opportunity for young and amateur musicians to excel in their chamber music skills by collaborating with professional musicians and playing in the best music halls of New England and New York.

*RESCU & "RenPen"*
http://www.rescufoundation.org/
-The RESCU Foundation (Renaissance Entertainers, Services, and Crafters United) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization established to promote financial relief and comfort to renaissance festival participants and their families who have experienced medical disruptions and subsequent extreme difficulties.
-The Westridge School Renaissance Club is holding their "RenPen Short Story Contest" to help raise money for RESCU.
http://www.renclubrenpen.com/


Influences: J.S. Bach, Giuseppe Tartini, Antonin Dvorak, John Dowland, Ralph Vaughan Williams, David Oistrakh, Fritz Kreisler, Stephane Grappelli, Django Reinhardt, John Coltrane, Väsen, Natalie MacMaster, Silly Wizard, Fairport Convention, Pentangle, Jethro Tull.
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: None

My Blog

Blue Bouree, etc.

My jazzy version of Bach's d minor Bouree (inspired by Jethro Tull) has been added to the playlist, as well as a new recording of my original Celtic tune, "Mr. Lowe's Birthday Waltz".  Both featu...
Posted by Samantha Gillogly on Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:18:00 PST

Emil Haddad and Union Plus awards!

Great news!  I recently had the honor of being awarded Union Privilege's "Union Plus Scholarship", as well as the Greater Worcester Community Founsation's "Emil Haddad Memorial Jazz Scholarship" ...
Posted by Samantha Gillogly on Wed, 13 Jun 2007 09:35:00 PST

Quebecois, Celtic, & Courante

New pieces have been added to the playlists!  -"Trois Quebecois" is a set of three traditional Canadian tunes: "Danse de Savage", "Fireside", and "Reel au Esquimeaux (The Eskimo's Reel)". -"Mr...
Posted by Samantha Gillogly on Wed, 06 Jun 2007 07:17:00 PST

New original piece added!

I just added a short original Renaissance-style viola piece, "Ladye of Arcadia", to my playlist.  I wrote/recorded this as the theme music for the Westridge School's "RenPen" short story contest,...
Posted by Samantha Gillogly on Mon, 21 May 2007 08:02:00 PST