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Sam Kriger Bio

Sam Kriger* is a multi-platinum award-winning Musical Director, Conductor, Arranger, Orchestrator, Composer, Producer, Accompanist and Vocal Coach who has appeared on concert stages throughout the world – from the White House to the Sydney Opera House. He epitomizes the word "versatility" - having performed, conducted and arranged in nearly every conceivable musical style. (Full transparency - He has never worked in the Gregorian Chant medium. “You try writing music on parchment with a quill pen and no thirds.”)

Sam’s client list is a "Who's Who" of Stage and Screen – having served for years as Musical Director/Conductor/Arranger for legendary artists Michael Feinstein, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Jones, Anna Maria Alberghetti, John Raitt and Donald O’ Connor. He has also collaborated with such gifted performers as Patti Austin, Morey Amsterdam, Bob Balaban, Adrienne Barbeau, Roger Bart, Beth Behrs, Erich Bergen, Alan Bergman, Ann Blythe, Sterling K. Brown, Michael Bublé, Betty Buckley, Red Buttons, John Byner, Liz Calloway, Hamilton Camp, Len Cariou, Lynda Carter, Patrick Cassidy, George Chakiris, Marc Cherry, Billy Crystal, Alan Cumming, Darren Criss, Tyne Daly, Blythe Danner, Jordan Donica, Nancy Dussault, Christine Ebersole, Fyvush Finkel, Rhonda Fleming, Denyce Graves, Joel Grey, Josh Groban, Martha Hackett, Neil Patrick Harris, Bill Hayes, George Hearn, Florence Henderson, Ken Howard, Jack Jones, Howard Keel, Roslyn Kind, Dale Kristien, Julius La Rosa, Storm Large, Lorna Luft, Jane Lynch, Susan Edwards Martin, Meatloaf, Chrissy Metz, Liza Minnelli, Karen Morrow, Jessie Mueller, Harold Nicholas, Nichelle Nichols, Laura Osnes, Sandi Patty, Valerie Perri, Bernadette Peters, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Rivers, Maya Rudolph, Jarrod Spector, June Squibb, Kay Starr, Constance Towers, Fred Travalena, Tommy Tune, Leslie Uggams, Dick Van Dyke, Ben Vereen, Cindy Williams, Nita Whitaker, John Lloyd Young, Rachel York and Pia Zadora. (Sam apparently never met a name he couldn’t drop.)

Sam enjoys a long relationship with Disney/Pixar working on several Academy Award winning films as vocal coach for such talents as Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz (Encanto), Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad (Frozen, Frozen II & Olaf’s Frozen Adventure), Jonathan Groff, Evan Rachel Wood (Frozen II), Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jemaine Clement, Rachel House (Moana), Anthony Gonzales, Benjamin Bratt (Coco). Other Disney vocal coaching credits include: Brandy (Cinderella), Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt (Pocahontas), Mary Wickes (Hunchback), Danny Devito (Hercules), Minnie Driver (Tarzan), Suzanne Pleshette (The Lion King II :Simba’s Pride), Zach Braff, Joan Cusack (Chicken Little), Anika Noni Rose, Jenifer Lewis (The Princess and The Frog), Brad Garrett, Jeffrey Tambor (Tangled), Jim Cummings, Gregg Berger (Mini Adventures of Winnie the Pooh), Ernie Sabella, Bruce Lanoil (Wild About Safety - as Vocal Coach/Producer.) He has also worked with DreamWorks since their earliest days on several hit films including Amistad, The Road to El Dorado and The Prince of Egypt. Sam recently vocal coached John Lithgow in the soon to be released Skydance animated feature Spellbound (2023).

Sam has had the good fortune of working with incredibly talented songwriters throughout his years at Disney and Pixar such as Lin-Manuel Miranda (Encanto), Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Frozen, Frozen II & Coco), Germaine Franco & Adrian Molina (Coco), Lin-Manuel Miranda,Opetaia Foa’i & Mark Mancina (Moana), Kate Anderson & Elyssa Samsel (Olaf’s Frozen Adventure), Alan Menken (Tangled, Hunchback, Hercules, Pocahontas), Glen Slater (Tangled), Randy Newman (The Princess and the Frog), Stephen Schwartz (Pocahontas, Hunchback of Notre Dame), David Zippel (Hercules, Mulan), Matthew Wilder (Mulan), Sting & David Hartley (Emperor’s New Groove), Phil Collins (Tarzan), Zina Goldrich & Marcy Heisler (Wild About Safety series), Jeanine Tesori (The Little Mermaid : Ariel's Beginning).

He is especially fond of the Pops Concert world and Sam’s appearance as either conductor or pianist include many orchestras throughout the world including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, Kravis Center Pops Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra London Canada, Pacific Symphony, Pasadena Pops, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Reno Philharmonic Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, St. Louis Symphony orchestra, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony and Wichita Symphony Orchestra.

Sam has used his pianistic skills on several film and television projects including the feature films Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, Evita starring Madonna, Disney’s Zootopia, Mulan, The Emperor’s New Groove and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning - for television: ABC’s - the Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration, Transparent, The Comedians starring Billy Crystal and Josh Gad, Cinderella starring Whitney Houston, Annie and Michael Feinstein Sings Sinatra as Musical Director/Conductor.

His many musical theatre credits include: Swing! (Theatre Under The Stars), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Reprise), Can-Can (Pasadena Playhouse), She Loves Me (Reprise), The Fabulous Lipitones, A Chorus Line starring Bebe Neuwirth, Assassins starring Patrick Cassidy, Fashion starring Dale Kristien and Marsha Wallace.  Sam and his multi-talented wife, Diane Vincent, are the authors of the award-winning Nuttin’ But Hutton – A Musical Tribute to the Songs of Betty Hutton. In an effort to stay creative during the pandemic, Sam and Diane wrote and performed 19 original parodies - their biggest hit,  “Baby It’s Covid, Outside”, received nearly 8 million views on Facebook.

Sam makes his home in Los Angeles where he enjoys the privilege of working with some of the best musicians in the world AND also enjoys the privilege of being very happily married to the aforementioned (that’s the fanciest word he knows!) actress Diane Vincent.

 *POV disclaimer - Written in the 3rd person by the 1st person because the 2nd person is too avant garde.