Samuel Pellman

1953 - 2017

Samuel F. Pellman 1953 - 2017
CLINTON - Samuel R. Pellman passed away Thursday, November 9, 2017.
He was born in 1953 in Sidney, Ohio. He received a Bachelor of Music Degree from Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, where he studied composition with David Cope and an MFA and DMA from Cornell University, where he studied with Karel Husa and Robert Palmer. For nearly four decades, Sam was an admired teacher, a groundbreaking scholar in the area of electroacoustic music and an indispensable part of the fabric of the Hamilton College, Clinton, Central New York and music communities. At Hamilton, Pellman taught music theory and composition and was co-director of the Studio for Transmedia Arts and Related Studies. He also served as Associate Dean of the Faculty, Posse mentor and leader of the arts development. In 2015, he received the Alumni Association's Distinguished Service Award. Pellman's music has been presented at festivals and conferences in Melbourne, Paris, Basel, Vienna, Montreal, New York City, Beijing, Capetown, Buenos Aires, Hsinchu, Perth, Prague and Oslo. He authored An Introduction to the Creation of Electroacoustic Music, a widely-adopted textbook published by Cengage. One of Sam's music videos, NGC 1999, will be presented as part of an exhibition at the TUF Gallery, New York City, on December 2-3, 2017. He also recently completed the pitch design for the "Tower of Voices" chimes, which are now being constructed at the Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, PA. Sam was the organist and the Director of Instrumental Music at the Clinton United Methodist Church, Tour Accompanist for the Oneida Area Civic Chorale, secretary of the Kirkland Democrats and a board member of the Syracuse Society for New Music.
Sam is survived by his wife, of 42 years, Colleen Roberts Pellman; his daughter, Emily Predmore (Michael), of New York City; and his son, John Pellman, of New York City. Other survivors include his mother, Carol Sue Pellman, of Sidney, Ohio; his sisters, Kay Borchers (Ted), of Ft. Loramie, Ohio and Jennifer Cox (Dirk), of Knoxville, Tennessee; his brother, Mark Pellman (Luann), of Troy, Ohio; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father, Frank Pellman.
There will be a Memorial Service for Sam on Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. in Wellin Hall of the Schambach Center, Hamilton College.
Following the service there will be a time to meet the family at the Linda Johnson Gallery, Kennedy Center for Theater and the Studio Arts.
Arrangements by Owens-Pavlot & Rogers Funeral Service, Inc., Clinton.
The Pellman family wishes to thank COCVAC, the Oneida County Sheriff's office, the Clinton Fire Department, the staff of St. Elizabeth Hospital and the staff of George's Farm Products.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations, in Sam's memory, to Clinton United Methodist Church, A Better Chance of Clinton, or the Kirkland Town Library.
Owenspavlotrogers.com