Samuel Chen

Principal Trombone

Grammy nominated Trombonist Sam Chen was born to a musical family, began musical studies at 9. As a high school euphoniumist Sam took first place in the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Competition, and went on to study trombone at the Cleveland Institute of Music (BM ‘97). As a winner of CIM’s concerto competition, Sam performed the Grondahl Concerto for Trombone, conducted by Alan Gilbert. Sam later attended Indiana University before winning the principal trombone chair of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra in 2000, and has performed in many orchestras, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s Grammy nominated CD, Trans Atlantic, as well as the orchestras of Charlotte, Jacksonville, Augusta, Greenville, and Huntsville. An avid teacher, Sam’s students have found success in ETSBOA’s Junior and Senior Clinics as well as placement in some of the nation's top music schools, including Indiana University, Ithaca College, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and Manhattan School of Music. As a soloist Sam has performed locally with the Oak Ridge Symphony, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, the Tennessee Wind Symphony, and the Missouri Symphony.