BIO

Sam Ruttan is a drummer and composer from Ontario. He began playing drums at age nine after studying piano for several years, and has since gained extensive performance experience working in a wide range of different styles.

After finishing high school Sam was accepted into the music program at York University, where he played with numerous small ensembles as well as the university jazz orchestra and Balkan music ensemble. During this time he developed a distinctive style influenced by contemporary jazz drummers such as Brian Blade and Mark Giuliana, as well as his teacher Barry Romberg, who he studied with for five years. He then went on to complete a masters degree in composition under the supervision of Al Henderson.

While at York Sam won the Marion Lower prize in composition, the Leonard Yancovith award in jazz, and the Jazz.FM91 scholarship in jazz.

As a performer Sam has worked with numerous great Canadian musicians, including Al Henderson, John Johnson, Pat LaBarbera, Tara Davidson, and Artie Roth. He has played at venues and festivals around Ontario, including the Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival, Huntsville’s Nuit Blanche North, the Toronto Undergraduate Jazz Festival, and the St. Claire Street Festival. He has also appeared multiple times on recordings made for Jazz.FM’s Jazzology series, and on several albums and singles by singer Alyssa Rose Hunt. Since 2023 he has been a part of the TSJC Collective, a contemporary jazz group based in Toronto that released its first album in 2024.

As a composer Sam has worked on several short film scores, and actively writes and arranges for both large and small ensembles. He also has a small hobby recording studio, and composes experimental electronic music.