Sam Suggs

Applauded by The Strad for his “brilliant and compelling programming,” and by Oregon Arts Watch for his "mind-boggling" performance of original compositions, Sam Suggs was the first double bassist in a generation to win the Concert Artists Guild solo competition and has received first prize at the International Society of Bassists 2015 Solo Competition as well as awards at the Bradetich Foundation 2017 International Solo Double Bass Competition.

As a collaborative bassist, he has performed in Ghanain villages, medieval churches in Sweden, schools in Bermuda, at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, at the Mostly Mozart Festival, Yellow Barn, Chamber Music Northwest, the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival, and alongside PUBLIQuartet, the Dover, Escher, Rolston, and Argus Quartets. Sam is composer-in-residence and bassist with Frisson Ensemble (General Arts Touring) and was former principal bass of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago while pursuing a degree in music theory and cognition from Northwestern University.

A native of Buffalo (and relatively quiet member of Bills Mafia), and alumnus of the Yale School of Music doctoral program, he has led masterclasses at the Colburn School, New England Conservatory, the Peabody Institute, and at Juilliard's Summer String program in Shanghai. Sam spends the majority of his time between the Northeast and the Shenandoah Valley performing with various chamber, crossover, and contemporary groups and currently serves as Associate Professor of Bass at James Madison University and on the faculties of the Heifetz Institute, Yellow Barn, Sewanee Summer Music Festival, and BassWorks.