Sam Zagnit, bass

A versatile bassist, composer, educator and native New Yorker, Sam Zagnit enjoys a multifaceted career, from performing with acclaimed ensembles such as Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, NOW Ensemble, and the American Symphony Orchestra, to accompanying handbell choirs in Norwalk, Conn.

Dedicated to the creation and performance of new works, Zagnit is a member of the New York-based contemporary music group, BlackBox Ensemble. He and Amber Evans are the soprano/bass duo confluss, an up-and-coming chamber ensemble committed to the exploration of their unique timbre through performing original compositions, some by Zagnit himself.

As an orchestral player, Zagnit frequently performs with the American Symphony Orchestra as guest principal bass, and in July 2025, joined the bass section of the Chamber Orchestra of New York. He recently joined the Harrisburg Symphony as Assistant Principal Bass and the New Haven Symphony as Section Bass.

Zagnit is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with David Grossman and Orin O’Brien, the Yale School of Music where he studied with Don Palma, and the New School where he completed the Performer/Composer Master of Music.