Samuel Jones first came into prominence as a conductor, one of the few Americans to advance through the ranks of the smaller American orchestras to become conductor of one of the majors (the Rochester Philharmonic). He then achieved national recognition in another field as he founded a significant new music school and served for six years as its first dean (Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music). All the while he has continued to compose, quietly amassing what has become a vital and active catalogue of works.