About
Sam Milan is a UK-based composer and orchestrator specialising in music for musical theatre, film, and crossover projects. His sound fuses the opulent orchestration of Golden-Age Hollywood soundtracks and the West End with a modern cinematic sensibility. Focusing on emotional storytelling through precise attention to timbre and colour, he bridges the gap between classical and commercial worlds. Whether it’s sweeping orchestral cues, symphonic adaptations for pop or jazz artists, or chamber music, he delivers emotional clarity and a distinct, luxuriant sound.
As an orchestrator, he thrives on the demands of the theatre industry. He is highly capable of crafting score reductions for pit orchestras and orchestrating new songs for development workshops. Equally at home in the symphonic world, he excels at expanding smaller works into full orchestral palettes. Where vocals are present, he creates colourful textures while ensuring that vocal lines remain perfectly clear and balanced.
Services offered:
Orchestration & arranging (musical theatre, full orchestra, pop crossover, big band)
Score reductions and pit orchestra preparation
Original composition for media or concert hall
Additional orchestration for film/TV composers
Score preparation and sheet music editing
Studying Composition at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, he developed a strong technical foundation which he further refined during his MA in Composition of Music for Film and Television at the University of Bristol. Mentors during his studies included composers Dr Andrew Toovey and Dr Joe Cutler, while his grounding in film music was guided by industry professionals like Composer/Music Editor Neil Stemp (Les Misérables, Nosferatu, Bohemian Rhapsody) and Composer/Conductor William Goodchild (Surviving Paradise, Chimp Empire). Additionally, his expertise in jazz and big band arranging was honed under the tutelage of Ed Puddick.
Sam welcomes commissions for orchestration and original compositions.
