Artistic Director

Laura Justus Sam

North Carolina native Laura Sam has been a choral conductor and music educator for more than 35 years, directing choruses at Meredith College, North Carolina State University, Cary Academy, North Carolina Governor’s School East, and Walter M. Williams High School. Laura was chosen to conduct both the North Carolina High School All-State Women’s Choir and the North Carolina Middle School All-State Mixed Chorus, and frequently conducts festival choruses at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. She has led numerous choral tours throughout Italy, Austria, and the United States. In 2007, Laura was honored as the North Carolina Music Educators High School Choral Director of the Year, and in 2018 was inducted into the North Carolina Music Educators Association High School Choral Section Hall of Fame.

Laura received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she studied conducting with Dr. Richard Cox, voice with Ellen Poindexter, and choral methods with Dr. Barbara Bair. She was among the first music educators in the nation to earn the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification in Music. Recognized for her expertise, she is called upon to design and lead professional development for choral music educators. Laura’s impact is felt in classrooms across North Carolina and beyond, as former students and student teachers nurture the next generation of choral musicians. Laura is an active member of the North Carolina American Choral Directors Association (NC ACDA) and the North Carolina Music Educator’s Association (NCMEA).

A passionate advocate for the representation of women’s voices, Laura has commissioned new works such as I Sing That My Voice May Be Heard, by North Carolina composer, Gwen McLeod Hall. Inspired by the life of Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai, this composition was premiered by the North Carolina Governor’s School East Chorus under Laura’s direction. Laura led the North Carolina Governor’s School Foundation to participate as a whole-movement consortium member in the commissioning of Appalachian Love Songs: Women’s Reflections on Love, Loss, and Strength by Minnesota composer, Linda Tutas Haugen.

When not immersed in choral music, Laura serves as the director of the North Carolina Governor’s School East, leading a summer residential program for intellectually gifted high school students. She enjoys traveling, hiking, kayaking, and volunteering with the Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail. Laura and her husband, Andrew, make their home in Alamance County.