Sam Kane is a Violinist and Composer who draws inspiration from his traditional Irish music heritage. Sam recently graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music where he studied violin with Cecily Ward. He is a recent winner of the Liverpool Philharmonic’s Rushworth composition prize, and was a finalist at the RNCM’s Gold Medal Competition 2024, where he performed a programme of his own compositions. Sam was commissioned to write a piece for the Hard Rain Soloist Ensemble in 2022, and the following year was chosen to be one of their Featured Young Artists for their 2023/24 Season. He received composition lessons from one of his favourite composers Caroline Shaw at the Stauffer Centre for Strings, Cremona, and has performed his own violin compositions at Wigmore Hall, Leighton House, and St James’ Palace, London. He was awarded the Classic FM ‘Big Platinum Performance’ prize for his piece ‘Three Northern Landscapes’ for soprano and orchestra. Sam was kindly supported by the Irish Heritage Homman Potterton Bursary and Help Musicians Postgraduate Awards.