Praised for his “stunning artistry” in “the way he uses virtuosity for musical coherence and precise expression” (Pittsburgh Tribune), pianist Samuel Oram has performed in many countries of the world. Having made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2022, this past year saw him travel to Japan for a performance of Beethoven’s Concerto No. 1 with the Tokyo Sinfonia. As a solo recitalist, Oram has performed in many of the concert halls of the world, including the Kennedy Center, Jordan Hall, Jüdische Volkshochschule in Berlin, the Edward Grieg Museum in Bergen, Conservatorio Profesional de Música “Jacinto Guerrero” in Toledo, the National Concert Hall in Taipei, National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuyung), and the National Shenyang Opera House in Shenyang, China.
Born in Boston, Oram began his musical studies at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School and continued his studies at Manhattan School of Music. In the course of these programs, he has studied and participated in masterclasses with Ursula Oppens, Leon Fleisher, Menahem Pressler, and Anthony di Bonaventura. He also participated in many prestigious festival and competitions, having won the Grand Prize and Solo Performance Prize in the Corpus Christi International Competition, Second Place (first place absent) in Concours Musical de France, First Prize in the Manhattan School of Music Concerto Competition, First Prize in the Steinway Society of Western Pennsylvania Piano Competition, and Honorable Mention in the International Wideman Competition.
In addition to performing as a soloist, Oram is also an avid chamber musician. During his doctoral studies at the University of Southern California, he worked for three years as the studio pianist for the longtime concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, Glenn Dicterow. Since then, he has presented chamber recitals with members of prominent symphony orchestras, including Adam Rainey (Detroit Symphony) and Michelle Tseng (Los Angeles Philharmonic). Since coming to Connecticut in 2023, Oram became the principal pianist for the New England Chamber Orchestra and a substitute pianist for the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. Over the past several years, his research has come to focus on women composers, having performed and given lecture-recitals on the relatively unknown music of Lili Boulanger, Hilary Tann, and Nobu Koda. In January of 2026, Oram will participate in the chamber series at the Kultursalon “Die Flaneure” in Berlin to present works by underrepresented composers. His recording of Hindemith’s Kammermusik II (Piano Concerto) with the New England Chamber Orchestra will be released in the same month. Having previously held faculty positions at Missouri State University and Union College in New York, Oram currently serves on the piano faculty at Connecticut College.
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DISCOGRAPHY
Beethoven, Schumann and Prokofiev |
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Hindemith: Kammermusik II, 0p. 36, No. 1
Samuel Oram, piano New England Chamber Orchestra |
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Shostakovich: Concerto No. 1 in C minor for Piano and Trumpet, Op. 35
Joel Baroody, trumpet Samuel Oram, piano New England Chamber Orchestra |
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Chopin: Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp mino, Op. 39
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Astor Piazzolla Histoire du Tango (arr. D. Varelas for Violin and Piano)
I. Bordel 1900 II. Cafe 1930 III. Nightclub 1960 |
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