Samantha Clarke

Dr. Samantha Clarke, conductor and flutist, is a Long Island native of East Rockaway, New York. She has a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in conducting fron George Mason University. 

Samantha is extremely grateful for the opportunity to study conducting with Dr. William Lake, Jr. and to have gotten to work with and guest conduct the Mason Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony throughout this academic year. Throughout her coursework at Mason, Samantha held the role of Doctoral Assistant Conductor to the Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony as well as Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Dewberry Family School of Music. She studied conducting with Prof. Mark Camphouse and Prof. Anthony Maiello, and flute in the studio of Prof. Julianna Nickel.

Samantha is a member of the staff of Mason Community Arts Academy, where she coordinates instrumental music education outreach in local schools through their Instruments in the Attic donation program.

Samantha has taught music and band at the elementary, middle and high school levels on Long Island. Additionally, she served as Associate Conductor of the Long Island University (LIU) Post Wind Symphony from 2017 to 2019. Samantha holds both a master’s degree in conducting and a bachelor’s degree in music education from LIU Post. While pursuing her master’s degree, she served as the Graduate Assistant Conductor to the Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, String Ensemble and Orchestra, studying conducting under Dr. James McRoy. Samantha was also very fortunate to have studied flute with Karla Moe for 10 years. 

As an avid performer both as a soloist and chamber musician, Samantha has been a flutist and woodwind teacher for the Songe d’été en musique School and Festival in Quebec, Canada since 2012. She has also performed abroad in Puerto Rico with the LIU Post Wind Symphony and in Australia at the Sydney Opera House as principal flutist of the Long Island Symphonic Winds.

Samantha’s performance honors include participation in the Long Island Flute Club Competition twice, placing first in 2012 and third in 2011. Additionally, she was featured as a soloist with the LIU Post Wind Ensemble at Tilles Center in April 2014 as a winner of the LIU Post Concerto Competition.

As an author, Samantha completed a Music Education Research Study for her master’s thesis in 2017 titled: “A Comparative Study of Best Teaching Practices Across Three High School Performance Ensembles: Band, Chorus and Orchestra.” More recently, she published an article in the Summer 2020 National Band Association (NBA) Journal, a book review in the 2019 College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Fall Report and has a contract with GIA Publications (Chicago) for a book detailing the life and teachings of Anthony Maiello.

Degree:

DMA, Conducting, George Mason University, 2023