Samuel Nebyu, BYR ’17, ’19, has been playing violin for nearly two decades—since he was 6 years old—but he still insists there’s always more to be learned.
“You learn everything pretty meticulously,” he says, “piece by piece.”
That’s why, after he finished his undergraduate degree in violin performance from Boyer College of Music and Dance in 2017, he knew he wanted to go straight into the school’s master’s program.
Every time I play music, I need to know that what I am doing is something that has a real impact and goes beyond just playing notes.”
Reflecting on his time at Temple, Nebyu is able to name numerous “dream come true” opportunities—from global performances, to awards, to a full CD.
He humbly credits his success to the guidance of Eduard Schmieder, Boyer’s Laura H. Carnell Professor and violin artistic director of strings.
Schmieder encouraged Nebyu to use his Hungarian and Ethiopian background to his artistic advantage. Today, Nebyu often plays the work of composers of African descent—who have historically been underrepresented in the field—at his performances, and made them the entire focus of his debut album.
— By Lauren Hertzler, KLN ’13
