Serial, minimalistic, modal, atonal, eccentric, quirky, harmonious, unique, complex, resonant, ebullient, progressive. This tone-row of adjectives is one of many that describes Samantha Vaughn’s music.

 

A native of Frederick, Maryland, Samantha Vaughn is a saxophonist, clarinetist, vocalist, conductor, and composer of new solo, small ensemble, and large ensemble works. Composing in a variety of styles and genres, Ms. Vaughn has experimented with many compositional techniques; her look on contemporary music and serialism has led to the interesting use of matrices and tone-rows as tonal devices, which is showcased in her string quartet piece 4 Matrices for String Quartet. Other compositions include A Phrygian Chorale, A Mad Girl’s Love Song, Song for Brass Quintet, Quartet for Two Marimbas, and Patchwork (musical doodles for piano). Her arrangements include the famous folk song Shenandoah (arranged for women’s choir) and Philip Glass’s String Quartet No. 3- ‘Mishima’ (arranged for saxophone quartet).

 

Ms. Vaughn has many accomplishments and recognitions. In September of 2017, she was awarded second place in the Winchester Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity Composition Competition for her saxophone quartet piece A Phrygian Chorale. In January of 2018, her saxophone quartet arrangement of Philip Glass’s String Quartet No. 3- ‘Mishima’ was premiered at the 40th International Saxophone Symposium by the Shepherd University Saxophone Quartet. Currently, Samantha is working on an assortment of projects, to include the premiere of Shenandoah, Subject to Change, and her first wind ensemble piece Symphony No. 1- Folk Song Symphony. She recently performed in two tours: the Shepherd University Music Department Regional Tour (March 8-9), performing on soprano clarinet, and the Shepherd Music Department Tour of  Portugal and Spain (May 5-15), where she performed as both a vocalist and a bass clarinetist. Recently, Samantha was initiated into the Shepherd University Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society, in which only the top 7.5% of second-semester juniors and 10% of seniors are invited into.

 

Samantha has performed with a variety of groups at Shepherd University, to include the Wind Ensemble; Saxophone Quartet; Symphonic Band; Jazz Band; RAM Band; RAM Symphony; Community Orchestra; Camerata; Chamber Singers; and Masterworks Chorale. She has also been an active promoter of new compositions, premiering works such as Renaissance Thrown Down the Stairs by the Shepherd University Composition Seminar Group, Lost in Thought I: Idle Thoughts by Nemo Hirschberg, At the Deathbed of Sweet William Green by Anthony Farris, and Vox Humana by R. Michael Simpson. On April 13, 2018, Samantha was able to perform in the world premiere of Symphony for Wind Ensemble, composed by her composition instructor, Dr. Mark Andrew Cook.

 

Samantha attended Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where she earned both a Bachelor of Instrumental Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Composition. She has studied saxophone with Jeremy Koch and Johnathan R. Yanik, and clarinet with David Drosinos. In the field of composition and arranging, she has studied with Dr. Mark Andrew Cook, Dr. Kurtis Adams, Brian Cambrel, and Thom Huenger. Samantha has studied both instrumetal and choral conducting with Dr. Scott Hippensteel and Dr. Rachel Carlson. She is currently a member of multiple organizations, including the Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society, the National Association for Music Education, and the Society of Composers, Inc. She served as President of the Shepherd University SCI Chapter until her student teaching internship. Samantha currently teaches lessons in music theory as well as lessons in composition.