Biography
Sam currently works as a freelance musician playing with numerous orchestras including the Halle Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Manchester Camerata.

Sam is a member of the Heritage Orchestra who released their debut album on the Brownswood Recording label in August 2006. They have performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival and collaborated with numerous artists including Massive Attack, Dizzee Rascal, The Bays and The Cinematic Orchestra.

Sam's session work includes recordings for: The Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, The Halle Orchstra, Jeff Wayne, Karl Jenkins, the Hollywood film soundtrack to Black Water Transit and he led the Heritage Orchestra for their recent recording session with UNKLE.

Sam has also worked on television with credits including Strictly Come dancing with Dame Shirley Bassey, The Electric Proms with Dizzy Rascal, and The National Lottery with Jade Ewan.

Other artists Sam has performed with include Sir Elton John, Goldie and Miss Dynamite.

As a soloist, he has performed a number of concertos, including Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, Bruch's Violin Concerto, Vaughan-Williams' Lark Ascending and Bach's Violin Concerto in A Minor.

Other Work includes, Some Girls are Bigger than Others UK Tour, 2005 (Glynis Henderson Productions), Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds UK Tour 2006 & 2008, and Bryn Terfel's Bad Boys UK tour 2009.

Orchestral Work
Orchestras: Albemarle Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Bath Philharmonia, Brandenburg Sinfonia, British Philharmonic Orchestra, Chameleon Arts Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, English Festival Orchestra, English National Ballet, Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra, Isis Ensemble, London Concert Orchestra, Mozart Festival Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Cymru, Sinfonia ViVA, Thames Festival Orchestra, Thames Sinfonia, The Heritage Orchestra, Urban Soul Orchestra. Sessions: BBC TV Session.

Education
Sam's schooling took place at Manchester University, B.Sc (Physics, 1st class hons.), 1998-2001. Sam's graduate studies took place at the Royal Academy of Music, PGdip (1st Class Hons), 2003-2005

Teachers: Richard Deaking (2003-2006), Karren Auty (1998-2002).

Masterclasses: Thomas Brandis, Ken Aiso, Aleksander Pavlovic, Maciej Rakowski, Erich Gruenburg, the Skampa quartet.

Sam's web links
www.nigelhughes.f2s.com/samaylward.htm

Sam joined Morgensterns in September 2008

Sam's web profile was last updated 28th Aug 2010