Sam Weller 


Sam Weller

conductor


Artistic + Music Director: Ensemble Apex



About 


Sam Weller is a conductor based in Sydney and Amsterdam, dedicated to sharing his passion for orchestral music with the wider world.

Recently, Sam was announced as one of six ‘designated winners’ of the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam, which will see him conduct ensembles such as the Rotterdam Philharmonic, Klangforum Wien and Orchestra of the 18th Century in 2025!

In 2016 Sam founded Ensemble Apex, which has been hailed as ‘one of the most exciting new ensembles on the Sydney scene’ (Limelight Magazine). The orchestra creates exceptional orchestral music experiences for newcomers and seasoned concert-goers alike. Apex has presented sold-out seasons since 2016, highlights include Bela Bartok’s Miraculous Mandarin at Sydney Town Hall, Rhapsody in Blue with Simon Tedeschi, Strauss’ Eine Alpensinfonie and most recently a critically acclaimed production of Verdi’s Messa da Requiem which received a credit as one of the most exciting performances of 2023 in the Australian Book Review. In 2024 they launch Apex Festival supported by the Australian Government - a cutting edge new orchestral music festival in Australia. 

“Ensemble Apex are next level - taking music performance in Australia to new heights with a thrilling blend of blistering virtuosity, studied finesse, generous warmth and youthful exuberance.If this is the future of music in Australia - then we are in excellent hands!”
Nigel Westlake - Composer - 2021

“Weller’s orchestra is one of the most adventurous in Sydney, performing with a maturity beyond its years under concertmaster Anna Da Silva Chen, aiming for an audience that is looking for something other than the conventional concert hall experience.”
Steve Moffat - Limelight Magazine - 2022

Sam is enjoying a blossoming freelance career in The Netherlands and Australia having recently debuted with Noord Nederlands Orkest, PHION, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Canberra Symphony Orchestra, the Dutch Radio Philharmonic (in broadcast) and made his Dutch operatic debut with a national tour of Mozart’s Zauberflöte. Sam’s upcoming engagements include operas with the Dutch National Opera Academy, symphonic concerts with Noord Nederlands Orkest, the Dutch Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Phil Zuid and Residentie Orkest. Sam is also a guest lecturer and conductor at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Conservatorium van Amsterdam and Koninklijk Conservatoire - Den Haag.

In 2022 Sam graduated from the prestigious National Masters of Orchestral Conducting in The Netherlands where he studied with Ed Spanjaard, Jac Van Steen, Kenneth Montgomery OBE and guest professor Antony Hermus.  Through his involvement in the NMO, Sam has conducted many of the Netherlands’ professional orchestras including; The Netherlands Philharmonic, Noord Nederlands Orkest, Residentie Orkset (The Hague Philharmonic), Nederlands Kamerorkest, Philharmonie Zuid Nederlands, Het Ballet Orkest, Sinfonia Rotterdam and also worked with the singers of The Dutch National Opera Academy. Prior to his studies, Sam appeared in international masterclasses with some of the world's leading conductors including; Paavo Jarvi and David Zinman.

“With this, his debut appearance with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, he has put an indelible stamp in his already impressive international credentials ‘passport’. ”
Clinton White - Limelight Magazine - 2022

“This isn’t intended to be a review, but I should mention that the performance, conducted with complete authority by Sam Weller, was remarkably good.”
Andrew Ford - Composer and Writer - 2022 (after Verdi’s Requiem)


In Performance







In Print 

click the title to read more

Apex Festival - Limelight Magazine 
Apex Festival - Sydney Morning Herald 
Verdi Requiem - Sydney Morning Herald 
Verdi Requiem - Andrew Ford 
Verdi Requiem - Limelight Magazine 
Canberra Symphony Orchestra - Limelight Magazine 
Canberra Symphony Orchestra - Canberra City News 
Orchestrating Change - Sam Weller - Limelight Magazine 


At Work


OCTOBER ‘24

Ensemble Apex - Wake up ... and Die
Adams - Dr Atomic Symphony  
Crumb - A Haunted Landscape 
Xiao - in flesh (ii) 
Gorecki - Symphony Sorrowful Songs, Mvt. II 

Ensemble Apex - Symphony in the Round 
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4

Tickets

DECEMBER ‘24

Bernstein Gala - Conservatorium van Amsterdam
Classical and Vocal Department 
Highlights from West Side Story, Wonderful Town, Mass and On the Town

Tickets soon 

PhilXmas - PhilZuid
Christmas Gala Program 

Tickets

JANUARY ‘25

Symphony Unraveled - Noord Nederlands Orkest
Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake 

Tickets soon


FEBRUARY ‘25

AVROTROS Klassiek Presenteert! - Radio Filharmonisch Orkest
Tivoli Vredenberg
Mozart - Clarinet Concerto 
Dvorak - Violin Romance 
Weber - Konzertstuck
and more!
 
Tickets

Zondag Ochtend AVROTROS Klassiek Presenteert! - Radio Filharmonisch Orkest
Het Concertgebouw 
Mozart - Clarinet Concerto
Dvorak - Violin Romance
Weber - Konzertstuck

Tickets

JUNE ‘25

International Conducting Competition Rotterdam Finals
June 1 - 13

Orchestra of the 18th Century
Rotterdam Philharmonic 
Klangforum Wien 
Sinfonia Rotterdam

Abstrakte + Kaiser von Atlantis - Dutch National Opera Acadmey & Residentie Orkest
Blacher - Abstrakte - Opera No. 1
Ullman - Kaiser von Atlantis 

Tickets soon

AUGUST ‘25

Obscura 2- Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra 
Tickets

SEPTEMBER ‘25

Sydney Conservatorium of Music - New Music Ensemble

OCTOBER ‘25

Northern Lights and Southern Stars - Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Bizet Symphony in C, Peer Gynt Suite and more...
Tickets

NOVEMBER ‘25

Western Australian Symphony Orchestra - TBA 



Selected Past Projects


MASS - Ensemble Apex
G. Verdi - Messa da Requiem


Transformations - Dutch National Opera Academy
Amare- Den Haag

World Pride Festival 2023 - Sydney Youth Orchestra
Music Director and conductor

Gulda Cello Concerto in PARADISO - Amsterdam
w/ Floris Mijnders (Munich Philharmonic)

Family Concerts - PHION 
G.Mahler - Symphony No.1

Die Zauberflote - Opera2Day
De La Mar Theatre, Amsterdam


Carmen - Irish National Opera
G. Bizet - Carmen
Assistant to Kenneth Montgomery

Metamorphosis - Noord Nederlands Orkest
G. Verdi - La Forza Del Destino Overture
S. Barber - Violin Concerto x Hannah Solveij Gramß
P. Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphosis

Pieter Rolf Jeudgconcerten - Noord Nederlands Orkest
Various Repertoire, touring throughout June
Tickets

War and Peace - Canberra Symphony Orchestra
R. Strauss - Metamorphosen
M. Williamson - Piano Concerto No.2
L.v.Beethoven - Symphony No. 3
Tickets

Parisian Rhapsody - Willoughby Symphony
C. Saint Saens - Danse Macabre
C. Debussy - Premiere Rhapsody x Oliver Shermacher
A. Chance - World Premiere x Oliver Shermacher
G. Faure - Requiem





Mark