Samuel J. Ivory is a conductor, composer and baroque trumpet player from Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, currently based in Vancouver, BC. He is constantly inspired by the possibilities of music-making and believes it is an essential part of education and culture. Having a wide range of interests ranging from baroque performance, history of North American music, multimedia music composition and more, he values engaging with music from a variety of styles – all informing himself as a conductor and musician.
Sam currently serves as the Music Director for the Intermediate Orchestra at the Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestras, and as Assistant Conductor of the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra. He has participated in conducting workshops and institutes led by Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Dr. Jeffery Meyer, Charles Peltz, Gary Lewis and, most recently, at the University of Oregon conducting workshop where he studied with Maestro Neil Varon and Dr. David Jacobs. His previous teachers in conducting include Dr. Jonathan Girard, Steven Amundson, and Dr. Chung Park.
Sam has conducted, performed, and been commissioned in tours across the United States and internationally including Trinidad and Tobago, Iceland, and Ireland. As an active composer and arranger, he has written for various mediums including musicals, full orchestra, solo, choral and chamber works. His compositions have been performed by the Høyde String Quartet, Synergy Musicians’ Collective, Grand Rapids Youth Chorus, and Grand Rapids Christian High School.
As an enthusiast of early music, Sam is an active performer on both baroque trumpet and sackbut. He has recently performed as a featured soloist with the Bitterroot Baroque Orchestra in Western Montana and the Baroque Orchestra Mentorship Orchestra at the University of British Columbia. Other recent engagements include regular performances in the Vancouver, BC area with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra and Early Music Vancouver. In June 2025, Sam performed in the Oregon Bach Festival as a part of the Berwick Academy in Eugene, OR under the tutelage of Kris Kwapis.
Sam holds a Masters of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of British Columbia studying under the direction of Dr. Jonathan Girard, and received a Bachelors of Music in Composition (magna cum laude) from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. During his time at St. Olaf College, he co-founded and conducted the student-led ensemble Synergy Musicians’ Collective, a group committed to providing performance opportunities for composers, conductors and performers. Since its inception in 2021, Synergy has performed at least 10 new works written by St. Olaf students, and featured at least 12 different student conductors.
Outside of music, Sam enjoys long runs, hiking, reading, and photographing antique farm equipment.