About

Samara Rice is a contemporary classical music composer and educator based in Southern California. Textural elements, unusual instrumentation, extended performance techniques, and imagery inspiration combine themselves to form her compositional sound.

Her works have received performances and workshops from notable ensembles such as the Southern California Brass Consortium, Constellation Men’s Ensemble, Wind Up Elephant (Robert Fleitz & Carrie Frey), Friction Quartet, HOCKET,  Nadia Shpachenko, VEDA Quartet, Gnarwhallaby, Amy O’Dell, Choral Arts Initiative, Mivos Quartet and Hannah Addario-Berry, among others. In addition to concert works, Samara is a frequent collaborator and composer for theatre, dance, animation, and film productions.

Samara is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach. She graduated cum laude from the University of California, San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in music composition, and was selected to participate in the prestigious honors program, which culminated in a solo honors recital. She was awarded The Steward Prize for an outstanding creative work.

Samara studied music composition at UCSD with Dr. Lei LiangDr. Chinary Ung, Rand Steiger, and Dr. Philippe Manoury. She studied music composition, music theory, piano performance and pedagogy at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA under the tutelage of Dr. Norman WestonPamela Worcester and the late Dr. Rebecca Rollins.

At UCSD, Samara also had the opportunity to broaden her musical knowledge with courses complementary to composition. She studied recording, mixing, and mastering techniques in a state-of-the-art studio with Tom Erbe (SoundHack), completed a yearlong series of courses in jazz theory and improvisation with Kamau Kenyatta, took private violin lessons with Batya MacAdam-Somer, and even spent a quarter studying conducting with Dr. Chinary Ung.

Along with composing, Samara shares her love for music as the owner and instructor of Samara Rice Music, a thriving music studio in Southern California. More information about lessons and Samara Rice Music is available at www.SamaraRiceMusic.com.

Samara is a member of The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), The Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA)The Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC), The California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT), American Composers Forum, and The Alliance for Women Film Composers.

Music


SOLO


A SOLITARY MIND AMID THE PANDEMONIUM (2015) for solo Violoncello, 5’

NIGHTMARE LULLABY NO. 1 (2015) for Scordatura Cello, 2’30”

BIRDS, WIND, & FIRE (2015) for Native American flute and mixed media, 3’

WALTZ (2014) for toy piano, 2’30”

FANTASY: DREAMS OF TOYLAND (2013) for toy piano and tape, 5’30”

GLISSANDOS ON A FLOWER STEM (2013) for solo violin, 6’40”


CHAMBER


MONARCH MIGRATION (2017) for Large Melodica Ensemble, 3’  

ONOMATAPIANO (2016) for two toy pianos, 3’

MICROSCOPICS (2016) for String Quartet, 3’   

BLAKE THE T-REX GOES FOR A SUNDAY STROLL IN HIS CASHMERE SWEATER (2015)

for Trombone, Clarinet, Violoncello, Piano, 3’

HIGH SPEED MINIMALISM (2015) for flute, ATB Sax

DELPHINIUMS AND TULIPS (2015) for Bass Clarinet and Marimba, 5’

PRELUDE TO THE VOID (2015) for Brass Ensemble, 2’30”

THERE’S AIR, THEN SOUND (2014) for SATB Sax Quartet, 3’

BUT BE CAREFUL HOW YOU SPEAK (2014) for mezzo-soprano, harp, and two percussionist, 3’35”

THUNDERSTORM (2013) for string quartet, 6’05”

PIANO PARTY TWO (2011) for bowed piano ensemble and toy piano, 5’15”

MAD GIRL (2010) for soprano and double bass, 3’

DETUNED (2010) for string quartet, 4’

QUARK (2009) for available instrumentation, 3’15”

PIANO PARTY (2008) for bowed piano ensemble, 7’50”


DANCE


NO EVIL (2016) for Dancers and Fixed Media

WHAT WAS BALANCED (2016) for Dancers and Fixed Media

THE LAST LIGHT (2015) for Dancers and Fixed Media

EAST OF EDEN (2015) for Dancers and Fixed Media


FILM, ANIMATION, & THEATRE


A BIRD IN THE HAND (2016)

TIM’S ENCOUNTER (2016)

STUDENT ANIMATION (2016) for Orchestra and sample libraries


Contact

Call or text: (714) 794-5089
Email: SamaraMusicComposer@gmail.com

 

For information regarding music lessons please visit: www.SamaraRiceMusic.com or Email: SamaraMusicLessons@gmail.com

 

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