Sami Butler

Sami Butler joined the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in 2022 as Associate Principal Percussion/Timpani, having previously worked with them as a guest musician since 2015. Before this, he twice held the Percussion Fellowship with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (2017 & 2018), and completed a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours at the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium under Amanda Grigg. He has appeared with the Sydney and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, and at venues including the Sydney Opera House, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts.

Sami directs the Adelaide Youth Orchestras Percussion Ensemble, a group he is extremely proud of. In 2023, he made his debut concerto appearance performing Jennifer Higdon’s Percussion Concerto with the Adelaide Wind Orchestra and Bryan Griffiths. His performance was noted for its ‘sublime musicality’ and his cadenza reviewed as ‘totally absorbing’. He is a previous winner of the MSO Snare Drum Award and is an alumnus of the Australian Youth Orchestra, including as Principal Percussionist of their 2016 International Tour.

Born in Adelaide, Sami began his lifelong involvement in music through his parents, who were both musicians in the ASO string section. After a short-lived and reluctant stint on the violin, he switched to percussion at age ten – much to the relief of all involved. Now residing in Fulham Gardens just down the road from where he grew up, Sami is a self-confessed ‘cricket nuffy’ who encourages anyone to engage him in conversation about Ricky Ponting’s pull shot.

Sami is supported by Zildjian cymbals and Vic Firth sticks.