Press

 

Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra
"Meet Our Musicians"

 

Samuel Thompson to Perform the Rediscovered Florence Price Concerto No. 1

Interview with Laurie Niles, Violinist.com

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"Something that Thompson and Kahng have wondered about together is: "if this piece was not performed, did Florence Price have a 'Joachim'? That is someone who she could send it to to get some violinistic advice?" The manuscript still leaves questions, "and the questions even go to the first two notes when the violin comes in."

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Violinist Samuel Thompson Remembers Hurricane Katrina

Interview with Chris Johnson, KMFA-Austin

 

"Sam says that what’s often forgotten when his story is told, is that he, just like everyone else, felt the magnitude of the situation. The romantic image that was painted by the media of his playing the violin amidst the chaos did not match the reality of what he experienced in the Superdome."

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Ten Years After Katrina

Interview with Laurie Niles, Violinist.com

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"Thompson's generosity in playing Bach in the midst of such difficulty and disorganization is something that struck a chord; the story circulated widely and quickly. In the 10 years since the storm, Thompson has felt ambivalent about his 10 minutes of fame, which on one hand brought some opportunities, and on the other hand was something he did not wish to have exploited."

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WISE WORDS, Strings Magazine 

 

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Inner Harbor Suite: Revisited

Steve Monroe, Baltimore Jazz Alliance

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"...a string ensemble lifted the show to another dimension. Cleveland Chandler and Samuel Thompson on violins; 

Daphne Benichou, viola; and Kenneth Law on cello helped to transport the audience to the waters of the harbor, with visions of boats, ships and milling tourists. They were most effective in the pieces 'In the Market Place,' 'Sailing,' 'Harbor Place,' and 'Water,' with their singing, drifting tunes."

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Colour of Music Festival Virtuosi Play Every Season, Twice

Adam Parker, Post and Courier

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"The Virtuosi did a fine job bring these pieces alive. They were perhaps hindered by the venue, Charleston Museum's

Wilcox Auditorium... but the players' earnestness and flare more than compensated for the odd acoustic.  

[Marlon] Daniel managed it all very well, and the idea to feature eight different violin soloists was inspired.

It gave the musicians a chance to shine and showcased some of the core talent assembled from far and wide

by festival organizers."

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The Road to Hell and Back is Paved with Surprises

Corinna de Fonseca-Wollheim, New York Times

 

"...the star of Mr. Andriessen’s opera is the orchestra. Mr. (Armando) Bayolo vividly brought out the music’s ability

to project visual images, whether in the downward tumbles of the first movement, the gondola-bobbing lines of the fourth, or the blinding brightness of Paradise, where harp, bells and the airy voices of the Children’s Chorus of Washington floated in gleaming contrast to the dark timbres of hell."

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A Chamber Music Highlight at "Colour of Music"

Peter Ingle, Charleston Today

 

"A fresh slate of players then performed Benjamin Britten’s (1913–1976) Phantasy Quartet, led by oboist Hasaan Anderson. Violinist Samuel Thompson, violist Audry Harris, and cellist Kenneth Law joined him in the composer’s multi-layered,

multi-textured piece that is strikingly abstract within at atmosphere of impressionistic imagery. One thing that makes the work pleasing is the lyrical and at times playful voice of the oboe...Overall, the distinguishing element of this “double” chamber recital was the excellence and exuberance of the playing."

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Interview with Sharan Nixon on the Sharan Nixon Show!

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Great Noise Ensemble:   Lullaby, Eulogy, Homage

Jason McCool, The Pinkline Project

 

"Hartke’s composition, thorny and more demanding than the mollification one generally receives from 'in memoriam' pieces, opened the concert with a stark tone. Beginning with dark, dissonant chords played by string trio, the piece followed with what felt like disconnected chimes in the upper register of the piano, haunting, static, coolly reminiscent of the chamber works of Morton Feldman or Arvo Pärt. The work eventually progressed into 'safer' tonal waters: lush, verdant chords making use of whole-tone harmonic motion, solidly concluding with a mere whisp of hope. My companion, unfamiliar with new music, remarked 'I can’t believe how in sync all the performers [Thompson, violin; Rebecca Steele, viola; Natalie Spehar, cello; Andrew Kraus, piano] were'."

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Black Arts Movement:   Giving comfort and calm with a violin 

Robert Faires, Austin Chronicle

 

"The fame generated by that incident isn't why ProArts booked Thompson for its 2011 Black Arts Movement Festival, but the story reveals much about the musician and the man: his devotion to his instrument, his commitment to his craft, and his compassion for his fellow man."

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Fractured Atlas Featured Member:   Samuel Thompson

Emily Bowles, Fractured Atlas

 

"A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Fractured Atlas member Samuel Thompson began playing violin at a young age and made his debut at the age of eighteen with the Carolina Amadeus Players Chamber Orchestra. He studied at both the University of South Carolina and Oklahoma State University, earning the Master of Music degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University where he studied with Kenneth Goldsmith and Raphael Fliegel. Currently living in New York, Samuel recently took time out from his busy schedule of performing, editing recordings and writing about music and the arts to answer a few of my questions…"

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