Sam Chung, artistic director, is a conductor and interdisciplinary collaborator originally from Los Angeles. His mission for the Magari Ensemble is to use interdisciplinary collaboration as a catalyst for critical dialogue about art and society.

Sam’s recent musical activities include conducting fellowships with the Aspen Music Festival and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He has served on the faculty of the Montecito Music Festival as Orchestra Director. Sam has also assisted and prepared ensembles for conductors such as Nicholas McGegan, Vincenzo Milletarì, Paul Phillips, and Larry Livingston. 

Outside of conducting orchestras, Sam is music director and plays violin and viola for Jordanian pop artist Zade Dirani and has performed in venues such as the Wiltern Theatre, UCLA Royce Hall, and Symphony Center in Chicago. 

Sam holds degrees from UCLA and Boston University. He currently pursues doctoral studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. His primary mentors in conducting have been Arthur Fagen, Jeffery Meyer, Neal Stulberg, and Thomas Wilkins. Other conducting studies have included masterclasses with Nicolás Pasquet, Johannes Schlaefli, and Gerard Schwarz.