Dr. Samuel Boateng

MEET SAMUEL BOATENG, NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT

Samuel Boateng is a Career Development Research Fellow in Music at St John’s College, Oxford. An award-winning jazz pianist, composer, and ethnomusicologist, he holds a PhD in Music from the University of Pittsburgh, an MA in Ethnomusicology from Kent State University, and a BFA in Music and Theatre Arts from the University of Ghana, Legon.

His research focuses on jazz, African music, and twentieth-century Black performance, engaging with themes such as migration, Afrodiasporic solidarities, improvisation, media piracy, and gender in music. His work has been supported by the American Council of Learned Societies, the Society for Ethnomusicology, and the Andrew Mellon Humanities Engage Project.

As a musician, Boateng performs across jazz, pop, and traditional African styles, with compositions featured by ensembles such as the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Adepa Ensemble, and the Afro Yaqui Music Collective. He is also a filmmaker, playwright, and recipient of the 2021 Heinz Endowment for the Arts for his jazz musical Sunsum is Spirit.

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SAMUEL’S VISION FOR THE SOCIETY

The Oxford University Ghana Society offers a unique opportunity for Ghanaians across Oxford to connect, collaborate, and build new bonds beyond home. As President, my vision is to expand our reach through meaningful partnerships with educational, political, and creative institutions in the UK and abroad.

I aim to strengthen support systems for visiting and new Ghanaian students and scholars, while deepening engagement for our existing members through orientations, workshops, job talks, and community events—picnics, concerts, and dinners that bring us together.

With open dialogue, thoughtful leadership, and teamwork, I hope to build upon the foundation laid by our predecessors and create a society that is vibrant, inclusive, and enduring.