Henry Samra is a keyboardist, percussionist, and composer based in Chicago who specializes in live processing of instruments and guided improvisation. He is currently pursuing a degree in Technology in Music and Related Arts (TIMARA) from Oberlin Conservatory, under the instruction of such names as Steven Kemper and Eli Stine, as well as additional instruction in percussion under Ross Karre.
Henry’s work is mainly around the augmentation of instruments with live processed or fixed media. His main instrumentation involves piano, pitched percussion, and most recently accordion, with the premiere of his accordion and electronics piece circular resoning, as well as Remind me not to mention the stars, which brings a song-like structure to his accordion work. Additionally, Henry leads the newmusic duo Drumset Trombone, a genre-bending guided improvisation project with trombonist Josif Collazo.
The beauty of the natural world is a key influence on Henry’s work, mainly in the form of field recordings and ambient soundscapes. His multichannel piece INTERPLANETARY strives to create spaces on the line between liminality and fantasy. Henry is an avid cyclist and an advocate for sustainable transportation infrastructure, and his music draws on a lived experience of Chicago’s transit system and bikeways, especially the infamous Lakefront Trail, which was a large influence on his piece Calumet for vibraphone and tape.
Henry’s pieces have been premiered by Oberlin Percussion Group, the Musikos Collective, and the Hidden Valley Institute for the Arts. He participated in TIMARA’s residency at Berlin’s Catalyst Institute for Creative Arts and Technology in January 2025. Most recently, he composed an original score for a production of Aaron Posner’s STUPID F##KING BIRD in collaboration with Indigo Brandstein, which premiered through the Oberlin Theater Department in October 2025.
Henry Samra 