Sam Vaillancourt

Biography

Violinist Sam Vaillancourt is a member of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, an Artist Ambassador for the Samuel Vargas International Music Foundation, and served as concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. Formerly a student of Manuel Diaz and Boris Abramov, Sam currently studies with Sergiu Schwartz at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University where he was named a Woodruff Scholar.

At the Red Rocks Winter Chamber Music Festival, the Montecito International Music Festival, the Idyllwild Summer Arts Academy, and the Encore Chamber Music Institute, he had the opportunity to work with Cho Liang Lin, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Paul Kantor, Sibbi Bernhardsson, Jinjoo Cho, Sam Fischer, and Sheila Browne. Sam performed as a member of the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra Chamber Players and the Franklin Pond Chamber Music Program in a masterclass given by Emerson String Quartet members Philip Setzer and Lawrence Dutton. He was chosen to represent the ASYO performing with members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Sam participated in GMEA All-State Orchestras annually from 2020, performing as concertmaster in 2021 and 2023. In 2022, Sam was awarded first prize in the Great Composers Competition: Best Saint Saëns Performance. In 2023 he was an alternate for the National Youth Orchestra and won second prize in the Atlanta Federation of Musicians’ John H. Head Scholarship Competition. Hereceived Honorable Mention in the 2021 and 2023 MTNA competitions and served as concertmaster of the Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus, with whom he was featured as a soloist in 2021, 2022, and 2023.