Peggie Sampson (1912–2004) was a cellist, viola da gambist and educator.

Early life

Margaret Sampson was born February 16, 1912, in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was the daughter of Ida Binney and Ralph Sampson, an astronomer. Peggie was raised as a Quaker and began studying

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

at the age of eight, first studying with Ruth Waddell. She would later study with

Guilhermina Suggia Guilhermina Augusta Xavier de Medim Suggia Carteado Mena, known as Guilhermina Suggia, (27 June 1885 – 30 July 1950) was a Portuguese cellist. She studied in Paris, France with Pablo Casals, and built an international reputation. She spent man ...

in Portugal. Sampson enrolled at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

in 1929 where she took classes with Donald Francis Tovey, graduating in 1932 with a Bachelors in Music. During this time she also studied under

Diran Alexanian Diran Alexanian ( hy, Տիրան Ալեքսանեան) (April 12, 1881, Constantinople – 1954, Chamonix, France) was an Armenian cello teacher and one of the world's greatest virtuoso cellists. Early life He started his studies in music und ...

at the Normale de Musique in Paris (she would travel there during the summers of 1930 through 1934) and also privately with

Nadia Boulanger Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher and conductor. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organist. From a ...

. After graduation, Sampson performed in England and Holland while also serving as Tovey's teaching assistant from 1937 to 1944. By the 1940s she was studying under

Pablo Casals Pau Casals i Defilló (Catalan: ; 29 December 187622 October 1973), usually known in English by his Castilian Spanish name Pablo Casals,

, Emanuel Fueurermann, and also performed with the Carter Trio. She then moved to the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba. She would remain in this position for almost twenty years.

Teaching career

Sampson was hired by the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba. In addition, some of her private students, Gisela Depkat, Kenneth Murphy, and Paul Pulford, and Lynne Odeh (née Rudiak) became professional cellists. She would return to the

in 1960-61 to complete a doctorate in performance and to study new methods of music education for children. In 1970, Sampson took up a post at

York University York University (french: Université York), also known as YorkU or simply YU, is a public university, public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's fourth-largest university, and it has approximately 55,700 students, 7,0 ...

as a professor at the Department of Music. She was to teach theory and set up a programme for viols. She also taught at the University of Victoria in the summers from 1973 through to 1975.

Performance career

Sampson became one of the most prominent cellists and viola da gambists in Canada. Once in Winnipeg, Sampson continued to perform with the Corydon Trio (Lea Foli and Gerald Stanick) and the University Chamber Music Group. In 1963 she founded the ''Manitoba University Consort'' with Christine Mather which performed music composed between 1100 and 1800. Both Mather and Sampson were responsible for the collection and transcription of music for the group. It was during this period that Sampson became interested in the

gamba Gamba or Gambas may refer to: Geography *Gamba, Gabon, a port **Gamba Airport in Gamba, Gabon *Gamba, Chad, a town *Gamba County, Tibet People *Gamba (surname) *Gamba (footballer) (Carlos Alberto Gambarotta; 1893–1944), Brazilian footballer Ot ...

and by the end of the 1960s it had replaced the cello as her main instrument. During this time she also commissioned work to expand the modern repertoire for the viola da gamba. As part of the Manitoba University Consort, Sampson performed at Expo '67 as well as touring in Europe and performing at the Aldeburgh Festival in 1966 and 1968. The group also performed at the opening of the National Arts Centre in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

. The group disbanded with Sampson moved to Toronto in 1970. Once in Toronto, Sampson continued to perform with her focus now on early music and the viola da gamba. She was invited to perform three times at the Aldeburgh Festival, in 1972, 1974 and 1976. Sampson and her students also performed under the name of the Hart House Consort of Viols at the University of Toronto in 1977-1978. Sampson formed Quatre en Concert with Christine Harvey, Michael Purves-Smith and Deryck Aird and they performed in Holland and Canada from 1974 to 1976. Some notable performances during her career include: * Bach's " Passions" *

Murray Adaskin Murray Adaskin, (March 28, 1906 – May 6, 2002) was a Toronto-born Canadian violinist, composer, conductor and teacher. After playing violin with a band, he studied composition and became the director of the Music department of the University of ...

's "Two pieces" in 1972 * David Rosenboom's "The seduction of Sapientia", 1975 *

Rudolf Komorous Rudolf Komorous (born 8 December 1931, Prague, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech-born Canadian composer. His works include ''Twenty-Three Poems about Horses'' (1978), based on the poetry of Li Ho, the opera ''No no miya'' (1988) which uses elements of N ...

' "At your memory the transparent tears fall like molten lead", 1976

Later life

Sampson retired from full-time teaching at York in 1977 but continued to teach at

Wilfrid Laurier University Wilfrid Laurier University (commonly referred to as WLU or simply Laurier) is a public university in Ontario, Canada, with campuses in Waterloo, Brantford and Milton. The newer Brantford and Milton campuses are not considered satellite campuses ...

until 1984 and was active in the early music scene in Toronto. She lived with her long time companion Juliette del Junco in Toronto and died at the age of 92.

Discography

* Eckhardt-Gramatté ''Duo concertante; Suite No. 6'' - Tovey ''Elegiac Variations''. Irons piano. (Ca 1966). RCI 224/RCA CCS-1018 * Handel - Bach - Locke. Redekop-Penner harpsichord. 1969. CBC SM-110 * Ortiz - de Chambonnières - Schenk - Cabezon - Couperin - anonymous. Redekop-Fink harpsichord. 1974. CBC SM-229 * Ortiz - Schenk - Buxtehude - Marais - Bach - Bloch. Redekop-Penner harpsichord. 1968. CBC SM-69 * Rosenboom ''The Seduction of Sapientia'' - M. Adaskin ''Two Pieces for Solo Viola da Gamba'' - Sampson ''Improvisation on a Theme from Tobias Hume''. 1976-7. Music Gallery Editions MGE-7 * ''Works for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord'': Marin Marais - Tobias Hume. S. Shapiro harpsichord. (Ca 1977). Orion ORS-74162 * ''Viola da Gamba Suites'': Marin Marais - S. Shapiro, Harpsichord. (2006) Marquis Classics Distribution EMI

Awards and honours

* Canadian Music Council medal (1985) * Hon. Doctor of Laws degree from

(1987) * Hon. Doctor of Letters degree from

(1988) * Peggy Sampson Scholarship awarded by York University