Shira Samuels-Shragg returns to the Spokane Symphony for Masterworks 6

Assistant conductor Shira Samuels-Shragg, will make her way back to the Lilac City and the Spokane Symphony this weekend – but as a guest conductor this time around.

Although neither of her parents are professional musicians, Samuels-Shragg grew up in a very musical household in Los Angeles. Classical music was nearly constant in the car and living room, which led to piano lessons at age 6. She also attended a school with a robust music program, resulting in learning viola in the third grade and clarinet by the fifth.

In eighth grade, while taking piano lessons seriously and consistently attending Los Angeles Philharmonic performances, Samuels-Shragg had to write a research paper on any topic of her choosing. She had begun to take interest in conducting and found herself immersed in research, specifically concerning female conductors.

Soon after, her school orchestra director gave her conducting lessons. Before long, Samuels-Shragg found herself conducting her very first performance.

“I absolutely fell in love,” Samuels-Shragg said. “I’ve known since then that I wanted to become a conductor.”

At such a young age, this performance acted as the first taste of what exactly makes conducting so special to Samuels-Shragg. She was fascinated by every individual on stage coming together to create one whole sound that none of them could physically make on their own. And at the helm, was herself.

“It’s a kind of stewardship that I take very seriously,” Samuels-Shragg said. “We get to kind of tap into this almost, I hesitate to use the word psychic, but there’s this kind of magic transmission of ideas and of energy that goes back and forth between the musician and between me. I just feel incredibly alive when I’m up on the podium.”

Samuels-Shragg went on to Pennsylvania’s Swarthmore College to earn her bachelor’s degree before attending the prestigious Juilliard School in New York to earn her master’s degree. Per the recommendation of a mentor at Juilliard, she began working with the Spokane Symphony in fall 2022 and acted as assistant conductor for the 2023-24 season.

“I’ve had the absolute joy of getting to work with this orchestra and the music director James Lowe, who has been a kind of guiding light and incredible mentor to me,” Samuels-Shragg said.

Now Samuels-Shragg acts as assistant conductor for the acclaimed Dallas Symphony, but she jumps at any chance to return to Spokane and will be given the opportunity by guest conducting the Spokane Symphony’s “Masterworks 6” performances this weekend.

“It’s such a treat,” Samuels-Shragg said. “I know these musicians, I love these musicians, this orchestra is not just full of amazing people but really plays amazingly, so it’s absolutely a joy to be back.”

In her return to the Fox Theater stage, Samuels-Shragg and the symphony will explore one of music’s most famous love triangles – that of Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms.

Perhaps the highlight of the repertoire is Brahm’s Symphony No. 1, which famously took more than a decade to create due to the pressures of Ludwig van Beethoven. The repertoire also features Robert Schumann’s “Manfred Overture,” based on a poem, and Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A Minor. Although Robert was one of Brahms’ greatest mentors, Brahms fell madly in love with Robert’s wife Clara and the two became closer as Robert gradually succumbed to mental illness.

Questionable morals aside, all three composers were masters of their time.

“Putting these three works back in conversation with each other I think paints an interesting picture for the audience of this era in history, in general,” Samuels-Shragg said. “And certainly, specifically amongst these three musical greats that would have a huge impact on the future of music.”