Sam was born in South East London to a family with a long tradition of playing musical instruments by ear and became the only one to actually learn to read music, starting on the piano aged 7 and enduring another 5 years of desperation to learn the violin before it actually happened. Twelve is an unusually late start on a string instrument but, as she loved practising she soon caught up and got a place at the ILEA’s specialist Saturday music school then known as CYM. Studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama followed. When the call to work for the Philharmonia came, it was amazing they found her, as the family were not on the phone at home: a composer friend living locally took the call to find her and had to drive round to her house personally with details of the rehearsals and concerts. She used her first pay cheque to have a phone line installed and the rest is history!

It’s nearly 25 years since she first played with the Philharmonia and she stills love practically every minute. Outside of the Orchestra she has many interests, including computers, philosophy, the odd game of bridge and most recently, seeing to it that the wild birds have enough to eat in the garden. Above all else though - she would name golf as her biggest passion.