Often mixing acoustic and electronic sounds, the music of composer Samuel Adams is shaped by such contemporary disciplines as sound design, noise, microsound, and field recording. Adams is the son of composer John Adams and is also a double bassist. Adams's first compositions began to appear around 2010, and, from the start, they featured unusual media; Tension Studies for electric guitar, percussion, and electronics appeared in 2011, and Drift and Providence for orchestra and live sound design was issued the following year. From 2015 to 2018, Adams was the composer-in-residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has also received commissions from the New World Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony. Adams gained attention for Lyra (2020), a ballet that incorporates elements of composition, sound design, field recording, movement, and video. He released his debut album, featuring a performance of Lyra in which he appeared on double bass in 2022.