I am originally from Christchurch New Zealand and did my music degree in Wellington at the New Zealand School of Music, a joint venture between Victoria University and Massey University. I studied there for 4 years with Diedre Irons, one of New Zealand’s foremost concert pianists graduating in 2010 with a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Classical Piano Performance. I studied orchestral conducting with Kenneth Young, choral conducting with Dr. Karen Grylls, repetiteur skills with Dean Sky-Lucas and additional piano studies with Dr. Rae de Lisle, Bryan Sayer and David Guerin.
I have since had a busy career across New Zealand working as a repetiteur, musical director and pianist in the fields of musical theatre and opera in some of the most important theatres in the country including The Civic Theatre, The Theatre Royal, Auckland Town Hall, The St James Theatre and The Bruce Mason Theatre. Some of these productions include Nixon in China (John Adams), The Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber), Miss Saigon (Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil), Anything Goes (Cole Porter), Evita (Andrew Lloyd Webber), Priscilla: Queen of the Desert (Allan Scott and Stephan Elliot) and The Last Five Years (Jason Robert Brown). I have also worked as a vocal coach, accompanist and musical director at the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art in Christchurch, and at the Opera Factory in Auckland.
I was a key member of the SMP Ensemble, a contemporary music ensemble that gives regular concerts throughout the year of newly commissioned works and already established contemporary music. The SMP Ensemble receives funding from Creative New Zealand, and many of its concerts are broadcast on national radio by Radio New Zealand Concert. http://www.smpensemble.com/
I have taught piano since 2009 and have had students of all ages and abilities have academic success in their ABRSM and Trinity College London practical examinations. My lessons are tailored to the needs of each individual student, focusing on their personal musical interests whilst still covering all the groundwork for good musical understanding with a secure technical foundation. I am also in demand as an accompanist for instrumentalists and singers in concerts, auditions and examinations, and I am an Associate Member of the Institute of Registered Music Teachers New Zealand.
To date I have had performances recorded on two commercially available CDs: ‘Podroze – Journeys’ by the SMP Ensemble and ‘Waiteata Collection of New Zealand Music Vol. 11 -Chamber Music III’ by Waiteata Press, both of which are available from SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music. http://sounz.org.nz/
For a more comprehensive biography, check out my Linkedin profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-jury-pianist
For some videos of me performing, click here.
Photo Gallery:
Piano With Sam 
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