Samuel Hollister. Photo courtesy of St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
In Tuesday’s (9/17) Ladue News (St. Louis), Drew Gieseke writes, “In July 2024, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announced that Samuel Hollister, a conductor, pianist, harpsichordist and theorist, was appointed as assistant conductor and as The Fred M. Saigh youth orchestra music director. We sat down with Hollister to discuss his roots, passion for music and what to expect from his new role…. Hollister: My first experiences getting to know SLSO this past year were truly magical…. The Youth Orchestra especially excites me because mentorship has always been an important part of my career aspirations…. I started the piano at 4 years old, chamber music around 8, and more collaborative piano opportunities followed after that. It took me a while to realize that a career in music was my ultimate goal. For a long time, I was thinking about physics or math, and I even got a math degree at Yale in addition to music. However, people really inspired me about orchestral music-making and drew me to this career…. Directing a youth orchestra comes with the opportunity to foster a culture around music that the students can take forward into the rest of their lives. We have the opportunity to define the orchestra as a place where everyone belongs.”
