Sam Minardi-Lopez (she/her) serves as the Manager of Student Services at Chautauqua Institution. She manages the student experience for all Schools of Performing & Visual Arts (Music, Visual Art, Dance, Theater) during the summer assembly. Sam is also a member of the adjunct music faculty at SUNY Jamestown Community College, teaching applied percussion lessons.
From Long Island, NY, Sam relocated to Western New York in 2017 to pursue the arts. She holds an M.M. and B.A. in percussion performance from the State University of New York at Fredonia where she studied with Dr. Kay Stonefelt, and was a graduate teaching assistant for classes, lessons, and ensembles. Sam appears regularly in the percussion sections of the Western New York Chamber Orchestra (WNYCO), Warren Civic Orchestra, and other ensembles. When not working, Sam enjoys playing weekend gigs, and spending time with her wife Emma and their two cats, Phinean and Atreus.
