by Ben Hogwood

At the end of November we heard the incredibly sad news that violinist Laura Samuel had died at the age of 48. Laura was a prodigiously talented musician, and was co-founder of the highly regarded Belcea Quartet, a member of the Nash Ensemble and leader of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra from 2012. There is a statement from the orchestra themselves, and an obituary on The Violin Channel website

I was fortunate to meet Laura on a couple of occasions and was struck by how friendly and approachable she was, even at the end of a gruelling three-hour rehearsal. Watching her with the orchestra you could see just how committed and passionate she was in her music making, the mutual respect she experienced with her fellow musicians, and above all the sheer enjoyment of making music.

By way of gratitude I have put this playlist together of recordings on which Laura appears, including her contributions as a session musician on albums by The Divine Comedy and Peter Gabriel:

Published post no.2,389 – Tuesday 10 December 2024