He’s Concertmaster Jennifer Cho’s right hand man. (Or left hand man, from her perspective on stage.) This East Coast-born violinist has made a home for himself in California. Meet Assistant Concertmaster Sam Weiser!
| Name: | Sam Weiser |
| Position: | Assistant Concertmaster |
| Section: | Strings |
| Joined California Symphony: | 2022 |
| Hometown: | Westport, CT |
| College: | New England Conservatory, Tufts University, SF Conservatory of Music |
Sporting Hero: Eli Manning
Favorite Sporting Memory: In third grade, my team won our town’s Little League World Series! Go Ravens!!
Your Sports Teams: First of all, my own fantasy football teams! Also, the New York Mets, the New York Giants, and, as of recently, the Sacramento Kings. Light the Beam!
Favorite California Symphony concert: I have a bad case of recency bias – our last concert is always my favorite!
Favorite Hype Music: Kiss from a Rose – Seal (yes, seriously!)
What is one line you might say to hype up your section before the big concert? I’d remind us all that we’re here to listen and have fun – and that’s it! As one conductor once said to me, “It’s only music!”
What’s the best thing about your section? The friendship, the support, and the high notes.
Thoughts on playing music and playing sports? From an outside perspective, it’s easy to see the competitive side of what we do, but the day-to-day work we put in has so much more to do with compassion, community, and teamwork than anything else. I think there are parallels all over the place – we’re just missing a mascot!
Do you have a message for our fans? Like every athlete, we leave everything we have on stage when we perform, and like every sport, the fans are the best and most important part. Performing for you all is the greatest gift we could ask for, year after year. Each and every one of you deserves the game ball!
Sam is one of 14 top-tier musicians recruited to the California Symphony’s all-star squad of professional musicians in the past two years. Support the team and music education programs that uplift and inspire our community with a year-end donation and help us reach the goal of raising $50,000 by December 31. Checks (including from Donor-Advised Funds), credit card payments, gifts of appreciated stock, and IRA distributions are all accepted. Donate now or call the office at 925.280.2490 to give a gift that will make Sam and his strings colleagues hit the high notes. Thank you!
