From Aurora's Stages to Sarasota's Spotlight: Local Bassist Lands Elite Music Fellowship

Aurora native Samantha St. John is spending the first two weeks of June performing alongside some of classical music's most accomplished faculty musicians at the Sarasota Music Festival, one of the most selective training programs in the country. St. John, a double bassist, was chosen as one of just 40 Fellows out of more than 450 applicants for the festival, which runs through June 13. The program is regarded alongside Aspen and Tanglewood as among the nation's top classical training opportunities, and past Fellows have gone on to hold principal and concertmaster positions with major orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestra. For St. John, the selection carries personal significance. She auditioned for the festival once before, during her freshman year of college, and was not chosen. "I sort of felt like when I auditioned this year, I was preparing for redemption," she said. Building a Foundation in Aurora St. John credits much of her musical development to programs in Aurora, where she performed with Aurora Orchestras from fourth grade through high school graduation. She also studied at the Aurora School of Music for nine years under instructor Bryan Thomas, completing her senior internship there as well. "All of the performances and solo competitions, along with Mr. Burdett and Mr. Nabring's encouragement helped me grow into the musician I am today," she said. She has since returned to substitute for Thomas at the Aurora School of Music and continues to help instructor Vera Holczer with performance opportunities when she is back in town. St. John's connection to classical music began with an instrument "petting zoo" at Leighton during fourth grade, though she said her path toward a music career developed gradually rather than through a single defining moment. A turning point came during high school, when she joined Contemporary Youth Orchestra and the Tri-C Jazz prep program, spending full Saturdays in Cleveland in addition to evening concerts and gigs. As she began earning money playing bass around Cleveland, she said the idea of pursuing music professionally started to feel possible. What the Festival Looks Like Day to Day At Sarasota, St. John said faculty treat Fellows as colleagues rather than students, encouraging them to develop their own musical interpretations with guidance as a secondary influence. A typical day includes two rehearsals of roughly ninety minutes each, along with lessons, individual practice and lectures on musicianship. Among the works St. John is performing at the festival are Beethoven's Septet, a Prokofiev quintet, a Dvorak string quintet and several pieces with the festival's chamber orchestra. She said the chamber music opportunities are especially meaningful because relatively little chamber repertoire has historically been written for double bass. Looking Ahead St. John has spent the past five years at Rice University in Houston, where she will begin her final year of a master's degree this fall. While she continues performing, she said her growing passion is teaching. She started a private double bass studio two years ago and currently teaches at several Houston performing arts high schools. She plans to visit Aurora in July and said she is looking forward to revisiting favorite spots, including Cafe Tandoor and Mad Jacks. For young musicians in the area considering a similar path, St. John offered simple advice: find music that sparks genuine love for the instrument, attend live performances to connect with the local music community, and aim for consistent practice rather than long sessions. "If you can make a habit of practicing 15 focused minutes per day, that's a great place to start," she said.