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Laura Samuel (violinist)

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Laura Samuel
Born
Laura Helen Samuel

(1976-01-04)4 January 1976
London, United Kingdom
Died21 November 2024(2024-11-21) (aged 48)
NationalityBritish
Occupationviolinist

Laura Helen Samuel (4 January 1976 – 21 November 2024) was a British violinist.[1] She a member and the co-founder of Belcea Quartet and leader of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

Biography

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Samuel was born in 1976 in London.[2] She studied at the Royal College of Music in the 1990s together with Romanian violinist Corina Belcea. They played music just for fun together in a string quartet. As they were successful, the four quartet members were exempted from orchestra lessons and they founded the Belcea Quartet, with Samuel as second violinist. Samuel played in the Belcea Quartet from 1994 to 2010. They won many prizes and gave concerts in the United States, Asia and Europe. In 2010 Samuel wanted to focus on her orchestral career. After an audition, she was accepted as a concertmaster in the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.[3] In 2012, Samuel became the leader of the orchestra.[4][5]

In the early stages of her career, she received a number of prizes, including those of the Royal Over-Seas League, Musicians Benevolent Fund, Manoug Parikian Award, and the TWIYCA Competition.[6]

She had a five-year residency at the Wigmore Hall in London.[7] As a teacher, she worked for institutions such as the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Samuel joined the Nash Ensemble in 2010.[8]

After a long illness, Samuel died on 21 November 2024, at the age of 48 from leiomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer.[1][9][10] The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra dedicated a concert to her after her death.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Laura Samuel obituary: warm-hearted and generous orchestral leader". The Times. 25 November 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024. Cite error: The named reference "ref1" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Past winners". TWIMC - Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Medeoprichter Belcea Quartet overleden". NPO Klassiek (in Dutch). 2 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024. Cite error: The named reference "ref2" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Violinist Laura Samuel named leader of BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra". The Strad. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  5. ^ "BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra appoints new Leader". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  6. ^ CHANNEL, THE VIOLIN (28 November 2024). "British Violinist Laura Samuel has Died, Aged 48". World's Leading Classical Music Platform. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  7. ^ "Laura Samuel". Winchester Chamber Music Festival. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  8. ^ "BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra announces death of its leader, Laura Samuel". The Strad. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
  9. ^ "British Violinist Laura Samuel has Died, Aged 48". The Violin Channel. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  10. ^ "Sad news: BBC orchestra mourns its leader, 48". Slipped Disc. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
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