Sam is a New York City based double bassist.

A versatile bassist, composer, educator and native New Yorker, Sam Zagnit enjoys a multifaceted career, from performing with acclaimed ensembles such as Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, NOW Ensemble, and the American Symphony Orchestra, to accompanying handbell choirs in Norwalk, CT. Dedicated to the creation and performance of new works, Sam is a member of the New York-based contemporary music group, BlackBox Ensemble, and is one half of the soprano/bass duo confluss, with Amber Evans: an up-and-coming chamber ensemble committed to the exploration of their unique timbre through performing original compositions for their ensemble, some by Sam himself. As an orchestral player, Sam frequently performs with the American Symphony Orchestra as guest principal bass. In July of 2025, Sam joined the bass section of the Chamber Orchestra of New York, and joins the Harrisburg Symphony as Assistant Principal Bass and the New Haven Symphony as Section Bass. Sam is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with David Grossman and Orin O’Brien, and the Yale School of Music, where he studied with Don Palma, and a graduate of the Performer/Composer MM at the New School. Sam is co-founder and administrator for Bass Players for Black Composers, a collective of bassists, composers, and patrons devoted to expanding the solo bass repertoire with works by Black composers.