Sam Knops studied Viola and Chamber Music at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, Belgium, with Leo De Neve.
After his Masters Degree he played in the major orchestras of Belgium, including La Monnaie, Antwerp Symhonic Orchestra, Brussels Philharmonics, Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen, and Royal Flemish Opera
Sam took his Suzuki training with Ilona Telmanyi in Denmark, gaining Level 5 for viola in 2013. He teaches the viola group ‘Con Calore’, based in Zottegem, Belgium, who hosted the recent European Suzuki Viola Gathering in Ostende in October 2022.