Artist Bio

Samantha Whelan Kotkas is a professional trumpet player, teaching artist, storyteller and award-winning children’s book producer with over 20 years working in the Alberta and international arts communities.  She is the second trumpet player in the Red Deer Symphony and performs regularly with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Rosa Barocca, and Altius Brass. She was very honoured to be asked to serve as the "Distinguished Graduate" at the University of Calgary’s convocation ceremony in June of 2018.

She just finished writing and producing Wandering with Wonder, an immersive outdoor musical storytelling experience with original live and recorded music, story, puppetry, and dance which was successfully premiered to a sold-out audience in September 2021 at the Leighton Art Centre. Wandering with Wonder was released on YouTube as a film in October 2022 by the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra.