Remembering Samuel Magad

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra family mourns the loss of Samuel Magad, who served as a member of the first violin section from 1958 until 2007, including 35 years as concertmaster, the position he held longer than any other player in the CSO’s history. He died on May 25, 2026, in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. Magad was 94.

Samuel Magad was born in Chicago on May 14, 1932. He made his debut with the Chicago Symphony in Orchestra Hall at the age of 11, as the winner of the CSO Youth Auditions. Magad performed the first movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto on March 1 and 15, 1944, under the baton of third music director Désiré Defauw. He later attended DePaul University as a student of Paul Stassevitch, and after graduating with his bachelor’s degree, he served in the U.S. Army Orchestra in Washington, D.C.

At the invitation of Fritz Reiner, Magad joined the Orchestra’s first violin section in 1958, and he was promoted to assistant concertmaster by Jean Martinon in 1966. In 1972 Sir Georg Solti appointed him concertmaster, the position he held until his retirement in 2007.

In addition to his work as concertmaster, Magad made regular appearances as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the batons of numerous conductors, including Daniel Barenboim, Solti, Claudio Abbado, Rafael Kubelík, Erich Leinsdorf and James Levine. He made his CSO subscription debut as soloist during his first season as concertmaster in November 1972, performing Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto with Solti conducting. During his tenure, he also performed concertos by Bartók, Beethoven, Berg, Brahms, Bruch, Haydn, Korngold, Mendelssohn, Panufnik, Shostakovich, Stravinsky and Vivaldi, among others.

Magad also performed in countless chamber music concerts, appearing with his CSO colleagues as well as Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Barenboim, Maxim Vengerov and Mstislav Rostropovich. As concertmaster, Magad can be heard as soloist on several CSO recordings, including Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben and Also sprach Zarathustra, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade and Beethoven’s Missa solemnis. 

The founder of the Northbrook Symphony, Magad served as the ensemble’s music director and conductor for 20 years. During his tenure, the orchestra was named 1997 Orchestra of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras. Magad also was the concertmaster of the Grant Park Orchestra and Aspen Festival Orchestra, where he performed for more than a dozen seasons as soloist, chamber musician and conductor.

Among Magad’s numerous awards were a Distinguished Alumni Award for achievement in the arts from DePaul University and the Governor’s Award from the Recording Academy for a lifetime of outstanding service to the art of music. In 1998 he received the Conductor of the Year award from the Illinois Council of Orchestras, and he was inducted into the 2000 North Shore Walk of Fame in recognition of his accomplishments as a violinist and conductor. In June 2010, he received a Doctor of Humane Letters from DePaul University, and in May 2017, he was awarded DePaul’s Pro Musica Award, “in recognition of extraordinary contributions to music and the arts.”

In his retirement, Magad was an active member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Alumni Association, serving as a board member and officer for many years. He also served on the DePaul University School of Music Advisory Board and was a regular student at Northwestern University’s School of Continuing Studies.

At the time of his retirement in 2007, Magad said, "I was very lucky to have had this position and to have held it for so long. It’s been a wonderful ride."

Samuel Magad’s beloved wife Miriam preceded him in death on February 25, 2026. He is survived by his daughters Debra Magad (Daniel Kaplan) and Carlen (Jonathan) Mines; grandchildren Jared, Michael, Greg and Kayla; and great grandchildren Leo, Devon, Layla and Blair.

Shiva and services will be held at Chicago Jewish Funerals in Skokie, beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 29. Interment will be private. Memorial gifts may be made to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra here and the DePaul University School of Music here.

This article also appears here.