Samuel Oram

Instructor of Class Piano

Praised by the Pittsburgh Tribune for his “stunning artistry” in “the way he uses virtuosity for musical coherence and precise expression,” pianist Samuel Oram has performed in many countries of the world. In 2022, he made his Carnegie Hall (Zenkel) debut performing Bach’s Keyboard Concerto No. 2 in E major. He has also appeared as a recitalist and concerto soloist in the Kennedy Center, Jordan Hall, Jüdische Volkshochschule in Berlin, Edward Grieg Museum in Bergen, Conservatorio Profesional de Música “Jacinto Guerrero” in Toledo, Asakusa Civic Center in Tokyo, National Concert Hall in Taipei, and National Shenyang Opera House in Shenyang, China.

Born in Boston, Oram began his musical training at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School and continued his studies at Manhattan School of Music. His teachers have included Ursula Oppens, Jeffrey Cohen, Alan Smith, Andrew Harley, and Stewart Gordon. He was also selected to join many prestigious festivals, where he participated in lessons and masterclasses with Leon Fleischer, Manahem Pressler, Lilia Zilberstein, and János Starker. His awards include the Grand Prize and Solo Performance Prize in the Corpus Christi International Competition, Second Place (first place absent) in Concours Musical de France, Honorable Mention in the International Wideman Competition, and First Prize in the Manhattan School of Music Concerto Competition.

In addition to performing as a soloist, Oram is also an avid chamber musician. During his doctoral studies at the University of Southern California, he worked for three years as the studio pianist for the concertmasters Martin Chalifour and Glenn Dicterow. In the years since, he has presented chamber recitals with members of prominent symphony orchestras across the country. Since moving to Connecticut in 2023, Oram has performed regularly with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra while serving as the principal pianist for the New England Chamber Orchestra (NECO). His recording of Hindemith’s rarely played Kammermusik II (Klavierkonzert) with NECO is in the process of being released on their debut album. His second album of the chamber music of Poulenc, Ravel, Šulek, and Carolina Calvache, which he recorded with the principals of NECO, will be made available in the next season. Having previously held faculty positions at Missouri State University and Union College in New York, Oram currently serves as an Instructor of Class Piano at the University of Connecticut.