Violinist, Maria Sampen, hails from the flat lands of Bowling Green, Ohio.  Her first trip to the Pacific Northwest landed her a job as Professor of Violin and Chair of the String Department at the University of Puget Sound.  Her wonderful husband, Tim, left his job in South Beach, Miami to join her on the other coast.  They now have a beautiful three-year old daughter named Charlotte, a small Craftsman Bungalow with no heat on the second floor and a vegetable garden on the back porch.

She is also a tenured professor at Puget Sound with two Thomas A. Davis Teaching Awards for excellence in teaching (2005 and 2008).  In addition to being a dedicated teacher, Maria is a sought-after performer.  She has appeared as a concerto soloist throughout the United States and as a chamber musician and recitalist in Europe, Asia and North America.  Maria is also a member of the artist faculty at the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina.

Maria loves spending time with Tim and Charlotte. She likes to force Tim to do home improvement projects and go on hikes in the beautiful Northwest.  She has even managed to get him to go to a yoga class or two with her.