Samuel Bill
Vocal Coach, Conductor and Accompanist

Dr. Samuel Bill studied conducting, piano and organ at the Bratislava State Conservatory in his native Slovakia. As an assistant conductor and while still a student he performed with and conducted the Conservatory Mixed Choir on tour throughout Slovakia, Europe and the United States. He was also a cofounder and assistant conductor of the St. Martin's Cathedral Choir in Bratislava, which he conducted for several radio and television broadcasts.

After graduation from the conservatory, Dr. Bill entered the Bratislava Academy of Music where he specialized in orchestral conducting. After one year at the Academy he received an invitation and full scholarship to complete his Master's degree at Montclair State University in New Jersey, where he graduated with honors in 1997. While in New Jersey, he was a rehearsal pianist and assistant to the conductor for TheatreFest, a professional equity theatre-in-residence at Montclair State University, as well as for other theatres in the Montclair area.

Dr. Bill further developed his conducting skills at the Juilliard School of Music studying with Maestro Vincent LaSelva. Since 1997 he has been the associate conductor of the Montclair Chamber Ensemble under the direction of New York Philharmonic violinist Oscar Ravina. As a pianist he has collaborated with many members of the New York Philharmonic for the Ensemble's chamber music series. In 2001 he appeared with the Ensemble at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall as a conductor and pianist.

In 2002, Dr. Bill joined Shaker Mountain Performing Arts Festival in the Berkshires to conduct two performances of Donizetti’s Don Pasquale as well as conducting various scenes on Shaker’s annual opera scenes program. He has returned to Shaker Mountain last summer to conduct Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro.

In January Dr. Bill has completed his studies in orchestral conducting at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC where he has been the conductor for The Medium, Amahl and the Night Visitors, and the world premiere of The Libation Bearers, assistant conductor for La Traviata and assistant conductor and chorus master for the world premiere of Agamemnon.