Samantha Powell, cello

Samantha Powell is a first-year Cello Fellow at the New World Symphony. She recently graduated with an Artist Diploma at the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati where she was a Diversity Fellow with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. There she studied with Alan Rafferty and mentor Ilya Finkelshteyn. Samantha has also been a fellow with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra in the summer of 2021.

As a soloist, Samantha was featured in concert with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and has been awarded the Cleveland Cello Society-Agnew Price for Best Bach. A highlight in her career, Samantha was interviewed and featured on Dr. Quinton Morris’s Unmute The Voices, a radio show and podcast dedicated to “celebrating BIPOC artistry in classical music”. Samantha has been involved with various chamber groups in her career including a piano trio, which won first prize at the CCM Chamber Ensemble Competition in 2022, and a string duo that provided concerts and workshops for classical music enthusiasts in the Cincinnati and North Carolina area.

Chamber music is a passion of Samantha’s and she is excited to explore the collaborative opportunities that New World Fellows get to experience. Samantha received her Bachelor’s in Cello Performance from The Cleveland Institute of Music. There, she studied with the associate Principal Cellist of The Cleveland Orchestra Richard Weiss. Festivals where she has been a participant include the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Spoleto Music Festival Orchestra, American Institute of Musical Studies in Austria, National Symphony Orchestra Summer Institute and received a fellowship with the National Orchestra Institute.