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Born and raised in Italy, Samantha Wells studied classical guitar at Centro Romano della Chitarra. Attracted by rock music as a teenager, she taught herself to play electric guitar, initially creating conflicts with her quiet-loving neighbors and eventually becoming the lead guitarist of Rouge Dada, an Italian underground rock band who landed a contract with BMG Ariola and toured extensively around the country. Samantha later studied jazz, blues and fusion with Rodolfo Maltese and Gabriele Spano, renowned Italian guitarists, while at the same time re-exploring the classical instrument. After graduating in Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of Rome, Samantha moved to the United States. 

Samantha has performed at public and private venues throughout the States. Highlights include duos with violinist Tony Finley (Rose Hall, Lincoln Center, NYC), Sri Lankan flutist and violinist Sureka Amerasinghe (Mannes School of Music); vocalist Carla Jenkins in the premiere of “Threnos”, from Emanuele Torrente’s “English Songs” (New York City Classical Guitar Society); she also took part to the 2012 World Premiere of B.R.Meyers  "Gladwell for 100 Guitars", directed by David Tanembaum.

 

Samantha has performed in masterclasses  Scott Tennant, Martha Masters, Laura Oltman and Jorge Caballero at the Mannes Int.l Guitar Seminar, NYC, and she's a former winner of the GFA Symposium, Adult Division.  Representing the South Bay Guitar Society, she has performed at the 9th Annual Art Panorama organized by the Silicon Valley Art Association at Le Petit Trianon Theatre and at the South Bay Guitar Society Showcase at the Theatre in San Pedro Square, both in San Jose, CA. She has performed and co-hosted the Sierra Nevada Classical Guitar Festival and Competition with Larry Aynesmith, and "An evening of Guitar", a weekly open playing night for classical guitarist in Midtown Manhattan, with guitarist Jon Donnel.

 

Since 2010, Samantha studies classical guitar and music gnoseology  with guitarist, music theorist and published composer Emanuele Torrente. 

 

Samantha enjoys teaching, practicing, performing and transcribing for the guitar. Her covers of Django Reinhardt, Chick Corea and Baden Powell are popular with the You Tube guitar community.

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